Ties that Bind
by shann1
Summary: In the wake of Bilbringi secrets are revealed that rock loyalties on both sides of the war. As the Skywalker clan struggles to stay united, Thrawn is faced with losing the last of his family and new light is shed on past events that connect them all.
1. Chapter 1

**Ties**

Mitth'eeo'nuruodo stood over the bed of the great Mitth'raw'nuruodo and sighed. Thirty years of desperately trying to keep secret his ties to the older Chiss were completely destroyed in as many seconds, his lifetime of trying to escape the man's overwhelming shadow proven pointless. Mitth'eeo'nuruodo sighed again and with an almost painful effort pulled himself from his melancholy thoughts. He was a brilliant doctor and could not, _would not_; let the weight of his regrets distract him from the delicate matter at hand.

With great care the Chiss doctor lifted the covers away from the Grand Admiral's upper body, pulling them down until his bandaged torso was revealed. Carefully peeling the bandages away he inspected the wound that had nearly ended Mitth'raw'nuruodo's life. The assassin's knife had barely made it all the way through its victim, leaving only a small wound on the chest but a far wider and more alarming wound on the back, where the blade had entered. Miraculously, the assassin had missed the victim's spine and heart, likely due to the victim shifting in his seat at the last moment. However, the jagged blade had severely damaged Mitth'raw'nuruodo's left lung, both when it was inserted and then again when it was removed. Worse still was the discoloration around the wound, a tell-tale sign that the weapon had been coated in poison. A strange surge of pride rippled through the doctor, that for all the assassin's skill and effort, Mitth'raw'nuruodo was still alive. Of course, the alien Imperial's condition was still critical and any other doctor would be far from confident that the man would pull through. Then again, few doctors had Mitth'eeo'nuruodo's genius and none knew their patients as well as he knew his.

The doctor did not raise his head from his work as he heard the door to the private med bay room open. The visitor did not dare to distract him until the Grand Admiral's wounds had been carefully re-wrapped and the covers had been pulled back up. The doctor finally turned his attention to the visitor, who used that as his cue to speak but before he could utter a sound the doctor held his hand up and gestured to the door. The visitor nodded and left the room, followed silently by the doctor. The door closed and both men were in the eerily silent hallway that led between the private rooms and the main med bay chamber. For a moment the two men regarded one another and then the visitor, Captain Pellaeon, broke the silence.

"How is the Grand Admiral, doctor? Have there been any signs of improvement?" Pellaeon was well aware of the doctor's connection to the admiral and hoped to see some sign in the younger alien's face. The doctor met Pellaeon's steady gaze but the captain could tell he was struggling to keep his stoic expression.

"As I told you before, Captain, it will take time to truly understand the extent of my…the Grand Admiral's injuries." The alien quickly corrected himself. "However, he regained consciousness, albeit momentarily, today-"

Pellaeon cut him off sharply. "Why did you not inform me earlier?"

"As I said, it was only a moment and he was not lucid. He lapsed back into unconsciousness before I even had a chance to contact you. Since there were no further signs that he might awaken again, I felt it best not to disturb you." There was something in the doctor's voice that made the captain regret his sharp tone. As though reading his mind the doctor continued. "I understand how much pressure is on your shoulders at the moment Captain Pellaeon. Believe me when I say that if there are any significant signs of improvement I will not hesitate to contact you. But I am also aware that you cannot afford to be constantly distracted by the admiral's condition. Trust that I will take care of him, so that you can focus on...everything else." The doctor gave him a small, but strangely reassuring smile and Pellaeon couldn't help but return it.

"Thank you doctor, if there's anything you need please let me know." Pellaeon turned to leave but noticed the doctor was returning to the Grand Admiral's room, his posture betraying his exhaustion. "I've been told you haven't been to your quarters since you arrived four days ago, perhaps you should get some rest."

The doctor turned in the doorway and immediately straightened his posture. "I get enough rest here." He paused and a sly smirk curled the edges of his lips. "However, Captain, as a medical professional I cannot refrain from pointing out that you have been working tremendously hard these last few days. I recommend you get some rest." The doctor then turned, with perfect posture, and went into the room. The door closed behind him and Pellaeon was left standing alone in the hall. With a shake of his head he decided to heed Mitth'eeo'nuruodo's advice.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I forgot to add this to Chapter One, please forgive me oh great literary powers that be, I do not own Star Wars or the characters created by George Lucas and Timothy Zahn.

Please note: While this story is primarily about Thrawn and the Imperials, it will also deal with the rebel gang (Luke, Leia, Han etc.) and have flashbacks which will include numerous other favourite characters (in particular Darth Vader). So for those not normally into Thrawn fics, give it a chance and I won't disappoint.

**Ties**

**Chapter Two**

Captain Gilad Pellaeon re-read the latest in a long line of dismal reports coming from all over Imperial space since the devastating loss at Bilbringi, less than two weeks ago. Yet another irate Moff demanding to know where Grand Admiral Thrawn was and what would he do to clean up _his_ mess. Pellaeon snorted in disgust and tossed the report back onto his desk. Everyone, Moffs, warlords and even his fellow naval captains had been so eager to share in the credit for Thrawn's remarkable victories yet the first hint of failure or the first sign of weakness and they turn like predators at the smell of wounded prey. It wasn't actually surprising to Pellaeon, he had seen this behaviour all too often in the past, especially in the dark shadow that was the defeat at Endor. But surprised or not it was still overwhelmingly frustrating to have to deal with the petty squabbling taking place among his fellow Imperials while the New Republic would soon realize the Empire's sudden vulnerability.

A knock at his door roused Pellaeon from his brooding but did not stop him from hesitating to answer, he was beginning to doubt if he could handle anymore bad news. After a few more moments he gave in and called for the person to enter. The doors slid open and Pellaeon felt a lurch in his stomach when he saw the look on his visitor's face. Clearly it was going to be something he didn't want to hear and wondered with dark amusement if the unlucky ensign standing before him had lost a bet to be stuck in the position of giving his stressed out captain more bad news.

"What is it ensign? Quit standing there shaking like a baby and come out with it!" Pellaeon snapped at the very young and obviously terrified man. He watched as the ensign swallowed to collect himself then spoke.

"Captain, we've just received word from the _Steel Fist _that the rebels attacked our salvaging efforts at Wayland. No ships were lost but the mountain was completely destroyed and all of the salvaged materials were either abandoned or destroyed, sir."

Pellaeon felt no anger at the news, it was really no surprise that the rebels would seek to prevent the Imperials from regaining anything from the cloning and weapons facility once they discovered it. Still it was yet another weight on the Captain's already painfully burdened shoulders. "Just hand me the report and leave ensign."

The ensign quickly passed the report into Pellaeon's hand and hurried out of the room. With a heavy sigh he added it to the steadily growing pile, then turned to look bleakly out into space.

Mitth'eeo'nuruodo was sleeping fitfully in a chair next to Grand Admiral Thrawn's bed in the med bay. He only ever went to his quarters to bathe and change clothing, every other moment, both waking and otherwise, was spent in this room. There was no way he would abandon his patient for any longer than was absolutely necessary and thankfully Captain Pellaeon had been surprisingly understanding, ensuring that the doctor was provided with everything he needed and that nosy crew members were kept at bay. Still, rumours were beginning to spread and it would not take long before his identity would be spread throughout the crew and from there, who knew? Even in sleep such thoughts reeled through his mind, along with painful memories and all kinds of nightmarish possible futures. Yet the cost of losing his identity paled in comparison to the loss he could have suffered had he refused to come to Thrawn's aid. Slowly his groggy mind became aware of a voice softly calling his name and it took him a moment for the implications of that fact to sink in. When he had arrived he had told the Imperials only his full Chiss name, a name not one of them could pronounce, keeping his more personal core name to himself. Realization struck like lightening and Mitth'eeo'nuruodo sat bolt upright, fully awake.

"Theeon…kis'a'dabeo…" The voice was weak, barely more than a whisper and the face that spoke them was painfully pale and drawn. The eyes that focussed on Theeon's seemed barely capable of staying open, yet the doctor knew the mind behind those eyes was fully awake. The doctor leaned forward in his chair and touched the other man's arm reassuringly.

"I am here Thrawn, please do not strain yourself. What do you need? Are you comfortable?" The doctor leaned close to the Grand Admiral's face so he would not have to strain his voice to answer him. To his surprise a soft chuckle came from his patient's lips and he pulled back just enough to see a small smile on Thrawn's face.

"You worry too much kis'a'dabeo…" Thrawn paused, struggling a little for breath before continuing. "I simply wished to speak with you…it has been too long."

The doctor shook his head. "There will be plenty of time for that later. Listen to yourself; you're gasping for breath at just two sentences!"

Thrawn looked at the younger Chiss for a long moment, noticing the lines of tension in his face, the dark circles under his eyes, his unruly hair and rumpled uniform. The uniform in particular caught his attention, an Imperial medical uniform clearly borrowed from a man with considerably more bulk than the doctor.

"I can't imagine that I…look any worse than you do…" Thrawn smirked as he watched Theeon bristle at his words.

"Let me assure you that there is no way I could possibly come close to looking as bad as you do." A smirk suddenly curled the edges of the doctor's lips as well. "But then that is a rather cruel comparison considering you're _so much_ _older_ than me to begin with."

Thrawn chuckled. "Very true, kis'a'dabeo…but then being older…I can claim…more wisdom…and ignore your advice not to talk."

Theeon's smirk vanished as his face became very serious. He opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a knock at the door. Both Chiss looked up to the door, Theeon debating in his mind whether to ignore it, when the door slid open. Captain Pellaeon entered, a troubled expression on his face until he caught sight of the Grand Admiral awake in his bed. The captain was unable to control the relief that washed over his face.

"It's good to see you back among the living Grand Admiral. I must say, things have been rather…tense …without you." Captain Pellaeon noticed a warning look from the doctor, clearly sending him the message to avoid disturbing the patient. However, Thrawn noticed the look too and responded to Pellaeon regardless.

"I have the utmost faith that you kept control of the situation to the best of your ability, Captain. I will need every bit of information you can give me about the Empire's current situation, from losses of systems and bases to the political situation, both how our fellow Imperials and also the rebels are reacting to the aftermath of Bilbringi…" Thrawn paused, it had been the most he had attempted to speak and he was panting for breath. Before he could continue the doctor cut him off.

"That is enough Grand Admiral. You are in no condition to be going back to work and the stress of taking on too much too soon could cause you to relapse…"

Thrawn held up a hand to cut Theeon off. "Please Theeon…The stress of assisting Captain Pellaeon with damage control is no where near the stress I would endure lying helplessly in bed knowing years of hard work and sacrifice are crumbling apart…" Thrawn held the doctor's gaze, willing the younger man to understand. "Please kis'a'dabeo you know this is the truth…"

The younger man frowned but resignedly turned from the Grand Admiral's penetrating look. "Very well, I will leave you to your discussion." The doctor turned sharply on his heel and left the room.

Captain Pellaeon winced as he watched him go then turned his attention to his commanding officer."Forgive me sir, I had not come here with the intention of causing an argument…"

Thrawn gave a tired wave of his hand in dismissal. "No harm done, Captain. Theeon is simply concerned, not truly angry…Once again I have placed him in a difficult situation…Forcing him to balance between the professional and the personal…" Thrawn trailed off, with a shake of his head.

Pellaeon cleared his throat to regain the Grand Admiral's attention. "All things considered he is doing remarkably well, sir. I honestly can't say you would have survived without his aid…He has also provided a great deal of assistance to the rest of the med staff, which given the current situation has been immensely valuable."

Thrawn's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I would expect nothing less of him…but it is still reassuring to hear you approve…"

"Of course I do sir." Captain Pellaeon paused, unsure whether to ask the question that had crossed his mind numerous times during their conversation. "Permission to speak freely sir?"

The Grand Admiral smiled thinly. "You have many questions I'm sure."

Pellaeon nodded. "I realize we need to move on to more urgent matters, sir, but I couldn't help noticing that you kept referring to the doctor as Theeon and kis'a'dabeo. When I had first asked him his name he told me something that was frankly, a great deal more difficult to pronounce than Theeon."

Thrawn chuckled. "I learned long ago that my native tongue can be extremely difficult for humans to pronounce, which is why since joining the Empire I chose to go by my core name, Thrawn, rather than my full name Mitth'raw'nuruodo. However, a core name, much like many human's first names, is considered rather personal. Theeon likely did not know what the protocol for such usage would be among humans….That or he was trying to be difficult." Pellaeon raised an eyebrow and Thrawn chuckled again. "As for kis'a'dabeo…it is a complicated term but roughly translated it means…child brother…it implies that one brother is significantly younger than the elder…and that the elder sees himself as both a brother and father figure to the younger…" Thrawn's voice seemed to trail off but he quickly shook himself and returned his red gaze to Pellaeon. "And now Captain it is time to bring our attention back to the matter at hand…"


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Star Wars…if I did I would be rolling around in my enormous pile of money. I do however, own Theeon and love him to pieces, so please ask me if you'd like to use him.

_Author's note:_ As promised our rebel friends are joining the party in this chapter. For those of you wondering why I started with the Imps, I was trying to capture the feel of the movies and Thrawn Trilogy which almost always started from the Imperial perspective.

**Ties**

This time Han Solo watched as Borsk Fey'lya's head exploded in a brilliant display of fireworks and gore. Han realized he must have snickered out loud because Luke, who was sitting next to him at the meeting, looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Before Han could respond he was cut off by Fey'lya, sadly still in one piece, from across the table.

"Honestly, Captain Solo, if you wish to participate in this meeting on behalf of your absent wife, the least you could do is pay attention." Fey'lya sniffed in that manner that drove Han nuts. How the Bothan managed to sound both condescending and victimized was truly baffling to him.

"I _am _paying attention councillor. I just don't see why you're trying so hard to argue with what our contacts in the Killiset sector are all saying, that the people there don't want to join the New Republic yet…" Han bit his tongue when Fey'lya cut him off yet again.

"They don't want to join because they are still loyal to the Empire and in particular, the mysterious Grand Admiral Thrawn, who by the way, you have continued to fail to discover the fate of." Fey'lya's eyes narrowed at Han and he struggled to maintain his calm sabaac face. "Until we know for sure whether or not the Grand Admiral is dead we cannot hope to bring the Killiset sector into the New Republic fold."

Mon Mothma stood from her seat, maintaining her regal composure in spite of her obvious exhaustion, and spoke. "Our sources inform us that while the Killiset's are relatively neutral towards the Empire itself, they are almost fanatically devoted to Grand Admiral Thrawn, viewing him as a sort of saviour for their people. Unfortunately, this makes our situation there immensely delicate. Firstly, because we have no idea what he did there to gain such a loyal following, secondly because we do not yet know for certain whether the Admiral is alive or not and thirdly, they believe we are directly responsible for his murder…" Mon Mothma let the last word hang in the air for a moment. "They will not be easily swayed to our side."

Luke spoke up. "Is it possible that the admiral tricked the Killisets like he did the Noghri? If we could find some form of deception on his part we may be able to use it to change them to our side."

On Han's other side Lando shook his head and answered. "I've done a fair share of dealing with the Killisets…they're a very sophisticated and advanced species. The Noghri were tricked because they were completely naïve about the galaxy beyond their planet…The Killisets couldn't be further from that, every planet in their sector is wealthy, they're famous for their advances in technology, their success in trade, their innovative art and culture, the list just keeps going and all this despite the fact they're so close to Wild Space. For Grand Admiral Thrawn to gain their support so completely…" Lando trailed off and shook his head again. "Whatever he did must've been pretty spectacular."

Fey'lya's fur rippled. "Which is exactly why we need to send a group to investigate that sector more thoroughly! We cannot afford for the Empire to have such powerful allies. Besides, because of its connection to the Grand Admiral it would be an excellent place to start to uncover more information about his fate. And since you seem to know more about the Killiset's than anyone else at this meeting, I vote for Calrissian to help Captain Solo lead the team."

"What!?" Han and Lando both snapped in unison. Han briefly pictured Fey'lya's head exploding again before continuing. "Wait a minute. You can't suddenly send us on a mission like this! There's too little information about the Killiset's and even though the Empire's already shrunk a bit since Bilbringi it's still within their territory…"

Mon Mothma held up a hand to stop Han from continuing. "I am afraid councillor Fey'lya makes an excellent point Captain Solo. The Killiset sector may be the best place for us to discover what is currently happening with the Empire. We need to send a team there to explore any clues that can be found."

Han cursed in his head. Just when it looked like he and Leia would finally have some time to spend together with their newborns, yet another task was heaped onto their shoulders, keeping them apart. He was sick of it and since Leia wasn't in the room it was a perfect opportunity to let them know just how sick of it he was. Just as he opened his mouth to protest, Luke, no doubt sensing his brother-in-law's anger, cut him off.

"If the councillors wouldn't mind, I would like to volunteer to organize the team to Killiset. I'm sure Lando can update me on any important information he has about the sector before I leave." Both Han and Lando shot Luke thankful looks, while Fey'lya seemed to glare at him slightly.

Mon Mothma gave Luke a relieved smile. "Very well, if you would like to accept this mission than I believe this meeting is adjourned."

Han, Luke and Lando hurried from the room before any of the councillors could make any further requests. Once they were far enough down the corridor to be out of earshot from anyone else Han turned to Luke.

"Thanks for accepting that mission for me kid, but I thought you were itching to start up your Jedi academy? If you keep up with these missions from the council you'll never get it started."

Luke tilted his head slightly and gave Han a small smile. "What and let you have all the fun?" Han gave a snort and shook his head while Lando rolled his eyes before Luke continued, suddenly more serious. "To be honest, I didn't just volunteer to rescue you and Leia from being separated yet again, although that did play a big part in my decision. It's just…the moment the meeting turned its attention to the situation at Killiset I felt the strongest urge from the force to go there."

Han nodded. He knew better than to question the kid when it came to the Force. Then again, a part of him really didn't want Luke to go either. It was bad enough for Han to have so little free time with his wife and children but he had even less time with the kid. Han wondered if it was so much to ask for a little stress free time with his _whole_ family. From the look on Luke's face Han could tell he was thinking the same thing. Lando watched them both, with the look of a man struggling with a difficult decision, finally he cut the tension.

"You know Luke, if you'd like I really wouldn't mind joining you to the Killiset sector. I wasn't lying when I said I was familiar with the area and given the state of my current mining operation, I might even be able to swing a lucrative deal or two out of it." Lando shot Luke a sly smile and both Han and Luke started to laugh.

"Hey wait a minute, if you knew you could benefit from a trip to Killiset before, why did you protest when Fey'lya suggested you join me on the trip?" Han asked.

Lando's smile grew to a grin. "Are you kidding? A trip more than half way across the galaxy with you complaining the entire way? No lucrative deal is worth that kind of torture!"

Even as Luke and Lando both started laughing at Han's overly dramatic expression of hurt and even as Han made to protest, he couldn't help but think how lucky he was to have the greatest family and friends in the galaxy.

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OK so as promised our rebel heroes have joined the story! Now I'd appreciate a few more reviews peeps…I've tried changing the title and description to get more people interested but so far the review area is a little lonely…if you like it let others know, please  P.S. Thanks to chisscientist for all the support!


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: _Yesterday George Lucas signed the rights of Star Wars over to me. Unfortunately it was all a dream…in other words, I still don't own it.

**Ties**

Princess Leia Organa Solo looked down at the sleeping faces of her babies and sighed. Her arms ached to hold them but she knew to do so would be to risk waking them up after she and Winter had spent so much time trying to get them to sleep. Since Han and Luke had gone to the meeting she felt a weight on her shoulders she couldn't explain yet she felt somewhat calmer in the presence of her children. She dared to reach down and gently touch the cheeks of first Jacen and then Jaina, using the Force to send them a message of love through her fingertips. To her pleasant surprise, both infants made happy cooing sounds in response then continued to sleep. She looked up sharply as she heard the front door to her quarters open and she rushed from the nursery, questions about the meeting already on her lips.

"Han, Luke…how did it go? Any new information about the Empire? What kind of tricks was Fey'lya up to? How did…" Leia was cut off by Han.

"Whoa, slow down Princess we just got in the door! By the way it's nice to see you too, sweetie." Han smirked and was rewarded with one of his wife's patented glares before he continued. "If you must know, it went kind of sort of well. New information about the Empire is murky at best and Fey'lya was being his normal slimy, irritating, vindictive self."

Leia paused to take in the information before braving her next question. "What _exactly_ do you mean by kind of sort of well? Don't tell me you've been sent on yet another mission half way across the galaxy…"

Han shook his head a hint of his earlier frustration in his voice. "No, I'm not going anywhere…Fey'lya almost trapped me into a mission to Killiset, which is _more_ than halfway across the galaxy by the way, but the kid jumped in and took that blaster bolt to the chest for me…"

Leia's relief was short lived as she realized what that meant. She turned to Luke, unable to hide her disappointment. "Oh Luke, I'm so sorry to hear that…as relieved as I am to hear that Han will get to stay I really want to spend some time with you too."

Luke smiled and moved to put his arms around his sister. "I have to leave tomorrow but don't worry Leia it shouldn't be a very long mission…we're just going to see if we can find any new information about the Empire. With so many rumours about whether or not the Grand Admiral is still alive plus the Killiset's unwavering loyalty to him and the Empire, it seems like the best place to start looking."

Leia frowned. The Noghri had informed her of how the Grand Admiral's Noghri bodyguard, Rukh, had sent them a brief message about stabbing his former master in the back before being shot down by the enraged Imperials…Leia knew well the honour and skill of the Noghri people and found it difficult to believe that one would fail at such an important task. However, the Grand Admiral had proven himself remarkably talented when it came to defying expectations. Luke seemed to sense her trail of thought because he responded to it almost as though she said the words out loud.

"I know it seems pretty unlikely that the admiral survived a Noghri assassination attempt but at the meeting it was made clear that over the last couple days our sources have begun to notice a major shift in Imperial morale and efficiency. All kinds of rumours are spreading like wildfire about what's going on but we need to uncover the truth." He pulled away and gave her his most comforting smile. "I'll be back before you know it."

Leia smiled at him in return. "I'll hold you to that Luke…"

Han moved to put an arm around each of their shoulders. "Hey none of that good-bye stuff yet! It's still early and I figure we have plenty of time to have some good old family fun before Luke leaves…" He gave them his infamous lopsided grin and was rewarded by both rolling their eyes then bursting into laughter when they realized they had reacted the exact same way. Basking in the warmth and laughter of the two most important men in her life, Leia felt the weight on her shoulders lifted. No amount of stress could hold her down while she was surrounded by her family.

_Mitth'raw'nuruodo looked down at the sleeping face of the baby in the incubator and sighed. His arms ached to hold the child but he knew to do so would be to risk his baby brother's life, which currently depended on the many wires and tubes hooked up to him inside of the incubator. Since Thrawn had first been told of his mother's pregnancy he had felt a weight on his shoulders he couldn't escape and he had desperately hoped that the birth of his brother would help lift that weight, his overwhelming guilt. Instead, two days ago he had been given the word that the child was born prematurely and was hanging to life by a thread. Thrawn dared to reach down and gently touch the glass, tracing the spot closest to his brother's cheek, using his imagination to send him a message of love through his fingertips. To his pleasant surprise, the infant's eyes seemed to open in response and look at his older brother before returning to sleep. He looked up sharply as he heard the door to the hospital room open and two guards entered ready to drag him from the room and back to the prison…he held out his hands and allowed one of the guards to chain his wrists together once more but not a sound passed his lips._

Grand Admiral Thrawn woke from his dream, to find himself in the command chair of his private control room, large and empty looking without his usual art displays. He rubbed his temples and looked around the room listlessly. It was a dream he rarely had anymore but it was still as clear as the day it actually happened, for worse than a dream it was an actual memory. Thrawn stood slowly and stretched his cramped limbs. He had awoken from his coma mere days before and was still far from fully recovered, yet despite his brother's warnings he had left the med bay and began to work again. He smiled as he remembered how the crew cheered when he stepped onto the bridge once more and how eagerly they set out to fulfill his first order. The crew of the Chimaera had been good to him, save for a certain tractor beam operator, whose fate never had to be duplicated. Thrawn knew well, however, that it was not out of fear that his crew respected him but because such displays of anger were so rare and that he rewarded success and effort far more often than he punished. A buzz at his door brought him out of his thoughts and he smoothed his uniform before returning to his command chair.

"You may enter." Thrawn's smooth voice cut through the room clearly without a hint of shouting. He watched as Captain Pellaeon entered the room briskly, with several data pads in his hands.

"I hope I am not disturbing you Admiral, but you asked to be informed as soon as we entered the Killiset sector. We have and in another twenty minutes we will be in orbit around Seti I as per your orders, sir."

Thrawn nodded his approval. "Have you informed the House of Seti that our presence is to remain as quiet as possible?"

"Yes Admiral. While the Representitve of the House expressed his relief to hear that the rumours of your death were false, he made it clear that he understands how dangerous it could be if your enemies received word that you are still alive. He promised to ensure that as few people as possible will hear about your arrival." Pellaeon's tense posture and tight voice suggested to Thrawn that there was more on his mind than he was letting on.

"Is there something else Captain?" The grand Admiral's voice was as smooth and calm as before but he leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he searched his Captain's face. Pellaeon hesitated for a split second then braced himself.

"With all due respect Admiral, I was wondering how certain you are that we can trust the Killiset's. After the treachery of the Noghri, and the rumours of that fiasco now widespread, it seems likely that the Killiset's might start questioning their loyalty to the Empire too." Pellaeon realized too late that the alien admiral might see his grouping together of the Killiset's and Noghri as a racist remark; however Thrawn simply gave a nod of understanding.

"I understand your concern Captain but rest assured our relationship to the Killisets is completely different from the Noghri. Where the Noghri had been deceived by the Empire since before I was so much as an Imperial lieutenant; the Killisets have never been deceived by us. The help I provided them was genuine and the proof is insurmountable. I must confess, I alone should take the blame for the Noghri…I've known since Lord Vader handed their responsibility to me that it was only a matter of time before someone exposed the Empire's deception. In truth, I genuinely wanted to help them, because I knew they would continue to help us if we did…" Thrawn trailed off for a moment before returning his glowing red eyes to Pellaeon. "But all of that is in the past and cannot be changed. What matters now is that the Killisets are eager to help us and we can trust them to do their best in that regard."

It was a clear dismissal, yet something prevented Pellaeon from moving. The Grand Admiral realized that Pellaeon was studying his face. Two pairs of eyes met and the Captain took a deep breath.

"I didn't tell him about the Noghri, sir. In fact, I didn't tell him anything about your campaign against the rebels…He asked but…I thought you would prefer to inform him yourself." Captain Pellaeon's eyes broke away from Thrawn's and the tension in his face showed clearly that he was worried about his commanding officer's reaction. There was a moment of silence as the full meaning of the Captain's words sank into Thrawn's mind. He could imagine how anxious his brother would have been for answers, how frustrated and persistent the younger man could be. It would have been so much easier for Captain Pellaeon to give in and answer Theeon's questions but instead he had truly understood the situation and kept quiet.

Thrawn's voice was strangely soft when he finally answered. "Look at me Captain." Pellaeon's eyes nervously returned to his. Thrawn did his best to maintain his cool composure but allowed some warmth into his next words. "Thank you."

A moment of understanding passed between the two men. Captain Pellaeon had gone out of his way to protect the Grand Admiral's brother from information he was unready to hear, information that would have cut the doctor deeply. That single act of selflessness had bridged the gap between military rank and loyalty, leaving instead true friendship between the two officers. Pellaeon gave a small smile and a nod of his head then turned without a word and left the room. For a moment Thrawn closed his eyes and allowed himself a smile as he felt the weight on his shoulders lifted.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: _Star Wars is the property of George Lucas and his associates.

**Ties that Bind**

Luke Skywalker stood on his balcony and gazed out at the dark night sky above the glittering lights of Coruscant, pondering the mysteries of the Force. Specifically, why it kept drawing him away from the destiny he thought he was meant to fulfill, the resurrection of the Jedi Order. Perhaps it was the Force's way of telling him that he was not yet ready to truly begin teaching others in the ways of the Force…His thoughts drifted to the strange urge he had felt to go to the Killiset sector. The moment it had been brought up in the council meeting he felt the need to go there and it had continued to grow until he accepted the mission on Han's behalf. Luke leaned forward and rested his arms on the balcony rail, allowing his hands to dangle over the edge. Truth be told, even if the council had decided not to send a team there he would have gone on a mission of his own, if only to satisfy that nagging feeling…

His thoughts were interrupted by the familiar presence of Han, who had just stepped out the doorway to the balcony. Luke turned to give him a friendly smile and Han returned it as he moved to stand next to Luke and copy his position at the balcony. The two stood together in comfortable silence for several minutes, until Han gave in and broke the moment.

"Everything all set for tomorrow?" Han asked and Luke could tell that in spite of the casualness of his voice and question, something was troubling his friend.

"I've decided to keep the team relatively small." Luke replied calmly. "You already know Lando's coming. A couple of the Rogues offered to come along too for escort duty and possibly some on planet snooping around but otherwise that's it."

"Awfully small team for such a dangerous mission is it? I mean you were at the meeting…these guys are hard core Imperial supporters and…" Han was cut off by Luke.

"That's exactly why the team has to be small. A bigger group would draw too much suspicion and make the risk of capture that much greater. With a small group we can still cover all six planets if we need to but keep the ability to slip in and out." Luke looked sideways at Han. "What's really got you so worried?"

Han sighed. "It's kind of hard to explain…I guess I just miss the days where all of us went on missions, you know? The days when we could spend quality family time together kicking Imperial butt, fighting slimy crime lords and other wholesome activities." Han threw Luke a lopsided grin and Luke chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled about the twins and I'm thankful that I can finally spend some time with Leia…but I know she feels the same. I guess I'm just saying that we miss ya kid and we don't want you to forget you're a big part of the family too."

Luke smiled and put his hand on Han's shoulder. "I know, Han. It's been hard on me too but we just have to remember that we'll always be around for each other even if we are at opposite ends of the galaxy…and I'll have a little talk with Leia before I go tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good, kid. When you and Lando get back we'll have to go for a guy's night…drinking, gambling, getting into fights…you know the kind of stuff we normally do only on official New Republic business." Han grinned.

Luke started laughing. "As long as you take the bill I'm in…"

Han looked at him in mock horror. "How could you even think I'd make you pay for such a thing?" Luke just raised an eyebrow and Han grinned again. "So I guess that means Lando's paying…" The friends both started laughing as they turned to go back inside.

It had been nearly a year since the last time Mitth'eeo'nuruodo had set foot on Seti I and it hadn't occurred to him just how much he missed it until now that he'd returned. He had taken a shuttle down to the planet's largest city, Ashwaraseti, as soon as the _Chimaera_ had reached orbit. There were few places in the galaxy where he felt safer and more respected. He took a deep breath as he walked along the tree lined streets, drinking in the sight of the bustling afternoon crowds as he headed from the city's spaceport to the Ashwaraseti Hospital. The Killisets, or Killiseti as they preferred to be called on Seti I, were a short, thickly built people with humanoid features. Theeon had made no effort to attempt to disguise himself among them; he easily stood head and shoulders above the vast majority of them even if he had bothered to try to hide his face. Most of them recognized him instantly and cleared a path for him, bowing as he walked by and he returned each bow with a heart felt smile.

Theeon was glad that he had refused his brother's offer of storm trooper bodyguards for protection while away from the ship. Thrawn had been less than thrilled, reminding him that the Killiset sector was a major trade center and that even though the Killiseti were Imperial supporters didn't mean their millions of visitors were too. Theeon had tossed his warning aside, after all, Thrawn had continually ignored Theeon's warnings to stay in bed and refrain from working. Stubbornness was strong in his family. In truth, having the bodyguards would have marred the sense of peace that filled him walking among these people. Theeon had nearly reached his destination when he felt a tug at the burgundy hem of his mostly grey Chiss doctor's coat. He turned to see a young adult female holding the cloth in her small, pudgy hands and another female standing just slightly behind her. Both females were grinning at him broadly.

"May I help you?" He asked them smoothly in their native tongue. The two females shared a glance before the braver of the two, still clinging to his robe, responded excitedly.

"You're the great Hero Doctor, rescuer of our people! My sister and I-" she gestured to the shyer female, "We recognized you right away and hoped you would be so kind as to grace us with your touch." She and her sister both touched their foreheads then held their hands out palm up to him.

Theeon felt a little baffled. "My touch? Why would you want that?"

The two females started giggling and as realization began to dawn on Theeon he felt more than a little embarrassed. He simply was not cut out for this hero worship business. When the two females had calmed down enough to talk the bold one answered.

"Oh Great One it is our small hope that your touch might spread some of your greatness to us and so that we can tell others that you gave us such an honour." Both females eagerly touched their foreheads again and held out their hands. Theeon realized that a small crowd had begun to form around them and he wondered briefly if he would be stuck touching hands all afternoon.

"I would be happy to fulfill your request." He said smiling and reached out to touch the shy female's hand. She clasped her hand around his fingers tightly and bowed her head until her forehead was pressed against the top of his hand. She stayed like that for several moments then raised her head and beamed up at him with naked adoration before letting him go. He turned his attention to the second female, still holding his robe with one hand even as the other was held out to him. Theeon reached out to touch her hand and felt her deceptively strong, stubby fingers clasp onto his own long, pale blue ones. However, instead of bowing her forehead as her sister had she instead used her grip to pull herself toward him, letting go of his robe and wrapping her now free arm around his waist. She buried her face into his stomach and clung to him tightly, Theeon too shocked to do anything but silently thank evolution for not making her any shorter than she already was, because just a few inches and this already awkward situation would've become a million times worse. He heard laughter and chattering from the small crowd and he was fairly certain that at least a few of them were thinking the same thing he was.

"Oh thank you Hero Doctor! I am the luckiest of all women in Ashwaraseti! I will tell everyone I know of your immense kindness and generosity." The huge, adoring smile on her face made up for the awkwardness she had put him through and Theeon couldn't help but smile back.

"I am honoured by your kind words but I really must be going to the hospital now, I am expected there very soon." Theeon knew that mentioning his meeting at the hospital was likely the only way he would be able to get himself away from the crowd. The two females touched their foreheads one last time and he returned the gesture before turning around and heading toward the hospital. The crowd parted for him like water, each person he passed touching their foreheads in respect and he warmly smiled for every one of them.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Star Wars and I make no money off of this. Anyone who wants to sue me is warned that the most I can give you is a button and some dryer lint.

**Ties that Bind**

Luke looked out the window of the cockpit of the large frigate the New Republic had lent them for the mission and watched as Wedge, Wes Janson and Tycho Celchu were finishing transporting their X-Wings into the frigate's cargo hold. His own X-Wing was sitting this mission out, both because he hadn't completed repairing it from his last space battle and because Lando couldn't fly the freighter by himself if a battle broke out. In truth, the X-Wings were just a precaution, the last thing the New Republic council wanted was for any fighting to break out in the Killiset's territory. The plan was to disguise themselves as tourists and search for as much information on the Empire as they could without raising any suspicion. It was that fear of suspicion that had forced Luke to resist Chewie's offer to join the mission but Luke sensed that the Wookiee was actually somewhat relieved by his answer. He considered Chewie one of his closest friends and knew the Wookiee felt the same but ever since the Empire's kidnapping attempts on Leia he had become incredibly protective of the princess and her twins. Luke knew that it must have been pressure from either Leia or Han that had caused Chewie to offer his assistance to Luke…a smile touched his face…actually, he'd bet it was both of them. A cheerful twitter came from behind him and Luke turned to look down at Artoo. Even without his X-Wing Luke had decided to bring the little droid along, although he was pretty certain Artoo wouldn't have given him a choice in the matter anyways.

"Hey Artoo, giving Lando a break from driving him crazy?" Luke grinned at the little droids indignant squeals of denial. Lando had wanted to make a few last minute "improvements" to the ship before they left but Artoo had been following him around trying to improve his improvements and generally getting in Lando's way. Which of course, Luke had found incredibly amusing even though he had pretended not to notice. He gave the loyal droid a pat on the head and started for the door.

"I guess I better check that Lando hasn't completely gutted the place before we take off, right Artoo?" The droid gave an enthusiastically relieved twitter and Luke chuckled as it followed him out the door.

"I heard that Luke!" Lando called from somewhere down the corridor, toward the hangar bay. His voice held that mixture of humour and false hurt that only he and Han could truly pull off. Luke chuckled but didn't respond until he reached the spot where Lando's feet were sticking out from underneath a bulkhead.

"Oh come on you know I was only saying it to humour Artoo!" Now it was Artoo's turn to give an indignant response and Luke dramatically rolled his eyes. "Look if you two want to fight go ahead but don't drag me into it!" He could hear Lando laugh as he pulled himself out from under the bulkhead.

"Well we should be all ready to take of oh fearless leader, just as soon as the Rogues are finished loading their babies into the back." Lando said with smug satisfaction as he wiped his hands off with a rag.

"Do I dare ask what you were up to?" Luke's eyes widened and his voice dripped with phoney nervousness.

"Just a little work on the hyper drive." Lando said lightly but with a smirk on his face. Given the infamous problems that Han, Lando, Chewie and Luke had had with hyper drives in the past any mention of repairing them had become something of a run-on joke for the group.

Luke threw up his hands in mock defeat. "OK I'm sorry! Don't tell me I don't want to know." Both men laughed while the droid twittered in confusion. Wedge's voice cut them off as he rounded the corner after exiting the hanger bay.

"Everything's ready Luke, Wes and Tycho are just locking things up. We can head out when you're ready." Wedge paused for a second and eyed Lando's slightly dirty outfit. "Have you been tinkering with the equipment Calrissian?"

Before Lando could reply Luke cut in. "Oh don't worry Wedge it was just the hyper drive, everything will be fine."

"Oh if that's you give me a minute? I just need to get my X-Wing off this ship!" Luke and Wedge started laughing and Lando crossed his arms.

"No matter what I do for you people, you have no faith in me…" But the laughter around him was contagious and he joined in too. Wes and Tycho poked their heads around the corner to see what was going on.

"We miss all the good stuff…" Wes muttered.

Luke looked up and noticed the other pilots' confused faces. He realized that if the two men were here then everything must be ready and they should head out. He took a breath to calm himself and spoke, to his credit, calmly and seriously.

"OK it looks like everything is ready so we better get going. It will take a few days at least to make it to the Killiset Sector and we don't have a lot of time to spare. When we arrive we'll head to Seti I. Not only is it the central planet in the sector but it reportedly has the most Imperial activity seen so far which makes it the best spot to start our search."

Lando shook his head. "This has to be the first time I've been on a mission where heading to the planet with the most Imperials is considered the best idea."

Luke smiled. "It does feel a little weird doesn't it? But think on the bright side, it means_ they're_ the ones on the run from _us_ now. OK everyone; let's get this ship in the air!"

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Captain Pellaeon entered the Grand Admiral's private chambers and was surprised to see that it was devoid of any art. He was certain that it would be filled with the art of the Killisets or perhaps art from the home world's of the various New Republic leaders. Instead the admiral's attention was focused on the flat screen attached to the right side of his control panel. Pellaeon waited patiently for the admiral to address him and after a few more moments Thrawn looked up.

"Have you heard from all of the Moffs yet, Captain?" Thrawn's smooth voice calmly filled the room.

"Yes sir. As you requested the meeting will be arranged over the Empire's highest security holonet service rather than in person."

"I take it the Moffs were pleased that they didn't have to leave the comfort of their sectors and meet with me face to face?" The Grand Admiral's face hardened and Pellaeon had to admit that a part of him was pleased that the admiral was so angry with his subordinates' behaviour during his absence, in particular their treatment of Pellaeon himself. He knew it was petty but he had thoroughly enjoyed watching the admiral chew out the captains who had begun to question Pellaeon's authority before the admiral had awakened and he knew that even worse awaited the Moffs.

"Of course, you will also be present Captain." A small smile twisted the corner of Thrawn's lips and the captain had a sneaking suspicion that Thrawn knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Yes sir, of course." Pellaeon allowed his own lips to twitch upward slightly and a moment of shared amusement passed between them. It was then that the captain remembered the lack of art in the room and decided to ask about it. "I must say, sir, that the room looks unusually barren."

"Ah yes, very perceptive captain. I was focussing my attention on this," Thrawn gestured to the flat screen. "And decided to turn off my display to prevent myself from distraction."

"My apologies if I distracted you sir, shall I leave you to your work?" Pellaeon was curious to know what had so captured Thrawn's attention, but the last thing he wanted was to annoy the Grand Admiral.

Thrawn gave him another small smile. "No apologies are necessary Captain. Before you leave I must also mention that the Killiset Royal Council has invited me to a banquet in the royal palace of Ashwaraseti, I thought perhaps you would like to come as well."

"I would be honoured sir. Might I inquire what the occasion is?" Pellaeon always found it helpful to know if he was stepping into some alien holiday or ritual.

He was somewhat surprised by the smile that crossed the admiral's features, showing his perfect, white teeth. Such a bright, genuine smile was such a rare expression from the admiral that the captain felt a strange sense of pride to witness it.

"The banquet is in honour of my brother. Actually, that was part of what I was doing on the flat screen when you entered, reading the message sent to me by the Mayor of Ashwaraseti on behalf of the Royal Council."

"They certainly seem to be falling all over themselves to please you sir." Pellaeon hadn't intended for his response to sound so suspicious, but the betrayal of the Noghri was too fresh in his mind for him to trust another seemingly Empire loving species too easily.

Thrawn's smile instantly vanished. "You are thinking of the Noghri." Pellaeon gave a short nod and Thrawn sighed. "In truth captain, I do no grudge them what they did; I knew it was the risk I took when Lord Vader first assigned them to me…To pretend to be a saviour when you are not is a dangerous game. That is where the Killisets differ from the Noghri and that is why you can have faith in the Killisets…we earned their respect Captain Pellaeon, we truly earned it." Thrawn's eyes narrowed slightly as if deep in thought but the captain could no longer hold his question back.

"How did we earn it Grand Admiral? What happened here?" Pellaeon watched as the admiral's eyes regained their focus and turned to him.

"As you know, the Killiset sector was never a member of the Empire, until recently their area was considered a part of Wild Space bordering the Unknown Regions. Due to their advanced ships they were able to trade with relative ease within Imperial space and also within Wild Space. Several of the planets, in particular Seti I, became popular tourist attractions because of their combination of core world standards of sophistication and ability to remain neutral during the war. However, about a year and a half after Endor a bizarre disease began to spread among the Killisets. It is unknown which planet it started from but by the time they recognized they were dealing with a full scale plague it had already spread to every inhabited planet in the Killiset sector. At first they tried to deal with it themselves. They quarantined their planet preventing tourists from visiting for fear of spreading the disease further. They used every medicine, every treatment that was known to them but the disease was like nothing their people had ever experienced before.

In the beginning, the first few weeks at most, only infants and very small children seemed to be getting infected but soon older children and pregnant women. Everyone infected died within days and the child mortality rate climbed to unheard of levels. My forces in the unknown regions relied on certain supplies to come from Killiset so it was not more than a month into the plague that I was informed of the situation. By the time I arrived the full reality of the disease had hit the Killisets. It did not simply hit children or those with weak immune systems, for unknown reasons females had absolutely no immunity to it. The death toll was staggering. A species can survive the deaths of even a whole generation of children, tragic though it might be, so long as there are adults to rebuild but no species can survive losing all of its' females and that was the horrific reality the Killisets faced. No sooner had we arrived then the Imperial doctors and scientists I had brought with me were baffled and refused to go down to the planet itself for fear of contamination. It was then that I contacted my brother and informed him of the situation. He arrived in remarkable time, packing only medical supplies and information. Theeon did not hesitate to go down to the planet, even though I insisted he work from the safety of the ship. For weeks he worked side by side with the Killisets, combining the full force of their medicine, Imperial medicine, Chiss medicine and his own brilliance against the seemingly unstoppable disease. After two weeks duty called me and I was forced to leave my brother with the Killisets, giving Theeon full access to whatever Imperial resources could be spared." Thrawn paused and his next words came out softly.

"For a month I heard almost nothing from my brother or the Imperial forces I had left with him. I continued with my task of preparing the Imperial fleet for the campaign against the rebels, I made plans, did research and found allies all with the dread that it was only a matter of time until I received the call that my brother had come down with the illness that was devastating the Killisets. It was at the end of that nightmare month that I received a simple message in text on my communicator: Return to Seti I as soon as possible- Theeon. I had the ship turned around immediately and within only a couple days the ship was in orbit again. As soon as I arrived Theeon contacted me once more, this time via holonet projector, informing me the Killisets needed help shipping the vaccine from Seti I to the other planets in the Killiset sector. For several days and nights Imperial troops worked side by side with the Killiset army to spread the vaccine to every corner of their sector. The vaccine worked with remarkable speed and all who received it, even those on the brink of death, survived. In total billions of lives were lost, including almost every child under the age of five years and over a third of the female population…but it could have been worse Captain, much worse and the Killisets know that the one thing that had stopped their species from extinction was the vaccine created by my brother."

Captain Pellaeon stood silently in front of Grand Admiral Thrawn, speechless at the revelation. Never before had the admiral revealed so much to him on any topic, much less one that held so many personal details. Yet it did not lesson the man or make him seem more vulnerable in the captain's eyes. In fact, it made him realize just how complicated and inherently noble his superior was.

"I have always considered it an honour to serve with you for the Empire Admiral. I was certain that you would restore us to our former greatness but from what you've just told me I realize I was wrong." Pellaeon watched as Thrawn's eyes widened with shock and the captain continued gravely. "I know now that the old Empire could never compare to the greatness that we will achieve with you as our leader."

Thrawn bowed his head for a moment and when he lifted it that genuine smile once more lit his features. "I promise you Captain, that I will do everything I can to prove you right."


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: _I do not own Star Wars but if Timothy Zahn ever reads this fic and feels inspired I will die a happy lady (especially if he likes a certain OC and decides to use him!)

_Author's note: _ Thank you to everyone who has continued to read this story and review, I appreciate every comment I get!!

**Ties That Bind Ch.7**

Luke watched as the star lines began to fade back into points, marking the ship's exit out of hyperspace. They had exited about an hour away from their destination planet, Seti I, so they could keep a look out for any trouble as they approached. He turned to look at Lando, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat and checking on some instruments.

"I know we decided to start with Seti I but it's a big planet. You've been here before, any idea what city we should land in?" Luke asked.

Lando turned from his work and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, since we're actually _looking _for Imperials, I'd say the best place to start would be Ashwaraseti. It's not just the largest city on the planet; it's also the major seat of power in the whole Killiset sector. If there's information to be found it'll be found there and if the Imperials want to make any deals with the Killisets that's where they'll have to go." He paused, thoughtful. "Plus, since tourism to the planet has been starting up again and it's the largest city, it'll be the easiest place for a group of non-Killisets to blend in."

It certainly made sense…But Luke felt a strange urge from the Force, it wasn't a sense of danger or warning though…more like anticipation…Luke hesitated then decided to push it aside for now. With a nod to Lando he got up. "OK so let's go debrief the others and head down."

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They made it down to the city with little difficulty and with their bland civilian garb they drew little attention. Of course, in a city this large, impressive and beautiful it'd be hard for _anyone_ to draw attention. Lando may have been here before, but once really wasn't enough to take in the beauty of the place; the towering trees that lined the streets and provided shade from the warm Killiseti sun, the sparklingly white walls of many of the buildings which looked as though they were made from ground crystals, the gardens and fountains that decorated nearly every street corner. At the moment, they were walking past a huge beach park that lead to a shimmering lake which stretched as far as the eye could see. He could tell that the others were impressed too, none of them tried to hide the awe from their faces. Lando chuckled to himself, thinking of how they were acting like tourists without even trying.

"What's so funny Calrissian?" Wes hated being left out of a joke.

Lando shook his head. "Nothing really, I just think it's funny how good we are at looking like tourists…stumbling about and gawking like we are."

"Hey who's stumbling? I'm just…" Wes's answer was cut short by Luke.

"We should probably split up now. Wes, Tycho you try heading east, Lando, Wedge you try west and I'll go north." Luke turned and pointed behind himself. "As you can see, the whole south end of the city is bordered by a lake, so we're already starting from as far south as we can go. Any questions?"

Lando frowned a bit. "Are you sure you want to go on your own, Luke?"

Luke nodded. "We'll cover more ground this way and the smaller the groups the less noticeable we'll be. At sunset we meet back here to discuss any leads and we'll decide what to do next from there."

Wedge clapped his hands together in anticipation. "Sounds like a plan!"

"Not a very safe one…" Lando muttered.

Luke sighed. "I know you don't like me going off on my own but trust me I'll be safe. So stop worrying."

Lando gave a roguish grin. "Who said anything about your safety? If Han and Leia find out I let you run off on your own on a planet that loves the Empire, I'm a dead man!"

The others started laughing as they moved off to their own directions, but under the laughter Lando felt tense. The kid had been on dozens of dangerous missions, many on his own, and he always pulled through but Han had asked him to keep an eye on Luke, telling him that Leia had been having nightmares…Lando was pulled from his thoughts by Wedge's voice.

"Hey Calrissian, I asked if you knew a good place to start?"

Lando ran a hand through his hair then smiled. If Luke needed help he knew how to contact his friends and they'd be there for him, as always. "Do I know a place? Wedge, please, you should realize by now that I always know a place!"

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Theeon's arrival at the hospital had been greeted by three of the doctors he had worked with during the plague crisis, all of whom were thrilled to see him. The group had spent hours touring the hospital, meeting with patients, informing Theeon of all the progress they had made since his last visit. However, they had left what they considered their most important ward until the end and it was here, in the maternity ward, that Theeon truly felt the hope and enthusiasm of the people. Beside him, the head doctor, Dr. Ma'karet, was eagerly guiding him to the first room he was to visit.

"Of course, everyone in the hospital now knows you are here and there isn't a parent in this ward that does not want you to visit them and offer your blessing to their child." Dr. Ma'karet put his hand on the door pausing to look at Theeon before opening it. "We have set up the rooms so that there is not only a bed for the mother, but a bed for the father to sleep in during his visits as well as room for the infant's incubator. That way the family does not need to be separated during their stay. Father's are welcome to stay until both mother and child are ready to go home."

Theeon nodded his head thoughtfully. "I understand. No family likes being forced to separate." The doctor smiled at him and pushed the door open. In the middle of the room a young female was lying in her hospital bed, a little squirming bundle in her arms, her husband sitting in a chair beside her. Both adults looked up excitedly when Theeon entered; the male jumped up, hurried over and taking him by the hand led him to the side of the bed.

"We are so immensely honoured that you have come to visit our baby. Please sit next to my wife." The husband hustled Theeon into the seat he had just vacated and the female smiled brightly at him, holding out her blanket covered baby for him to see.

"Isn't he the most wonderful baby you've ever seen? Look at how chubby and healthy he is! You must hold him, that some of your wisdom may rub off on him." The mother said, with a hint of pleading in her voice.

Theeon smiled reassuringly and took the little bundle carefully into his arms. Killiseti babies held many similarities to Chiss and human babies, their arms and legs disproportionately small compared to the rest of them, their heads disproportionately large. One interesting difference was that their torsos were as wide as they were long, giving them an unusually round appearance. The baby made a soft cooing sound as Theeon expertly rocked him. He had started his career specializing in paediatrics and had held hundreds of babies in his time, yet he still felt a sense of wonder at how each one was already an individual, filled with promise. He looked up at the parents, both watching him with pride and joy at their accomplishment…Theeon smiled again, handed the woman her baby and stood up.

"He is a wonderful baby, the two of you should be very proud." He paused, touched his hand to his forehead and reached down to touch the mother's forehead, and then he repeated the gesture with the father. The father then bowed low, touching his own forehead.

"We thank you, Greatest of Doctors, with all our souls."

Theeon smiled and mimicked the father's movement. "The honour is mine." He left the room with the Killiseti doctors and visited each and every patient in the maternity ward. He was as glad to see each person as they were to see him. When he had first come to Ashwaraseti Hospital, the ward had been devastated by the plague, with not one infant or mother survivor. Now it was a quarter full, not close to what it had been before, but certainly an improvement. He wished he could stay longer, but he realized it was getting late and his brother was expecting him before they went to the royal palace for the banquet. Dr. Ma'karet escorted him to the exit and informed him that he and several other doctors who had helped Theeon create the cure were also invited to the banquet then the two doctors said their good-byes and Theeon left.

The sun was still high in the sky and a gentle breeze ruffled his hair as he walked down the steps to the street. Thrawn had told him that the shuttle carrying him and Captain Pellaeon would be landing in the VIP section of the Ashwaraseti spaceport, which was a bit of a walk from where Theeon was. He knew he would have to hurry if he was to go by foot, but the weather and scenery were too perfect for him to consider taking transport. With a serene smile on his lips he turned and started heading west.

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Wedge had expected the search for information on the Imperials would be hard, exhausting work and he knew the others thought the same. So he was a little surprised that the first place Lando had led them to, a high end restaurant and casino near the spaceport, was filled to the brim with excited Killisets discussing an Imperial visit and celebration. All he and Lando had to do was sit there and listen. Unfortunately, the more they heard the more tense he knew they both felt. They had only been sitting in the place for a few minutes and already it had become clear how fiercely loyal the Killisets were to the Empire. Suddenly, he saw Lando tense and turn his head slightly. Wedge followed his gaze but quickly realized Calrissian was straining to hear something not see it. Wedge strained his ears and quickly picked up on the conversation that had caught Lando's ears.

"They say it's a miracle…the enemy had been cowardly, convincing one of his trusted subjects to stab him in the back…" The Killiseti said in a low voice. He was sitting at the table to the right of Lando with two other males who both gasped at his words. He continued. "Not a word of a lie. It happened in the middle of a crucial battle which they lost because of the attack. He would've died but the Imperials were quick and contacted the other great one, who saved him."

Wedge's eyes flicked to Lando and his throat felt dry when he whispered. "That story sound familiar to you?"

Lando's face was tense as he whispered back. "That's not the only part that worries me…Did you notice him say the _other _great one? If we're assuming that Thrawn's one of the great ones, who's the other?"

Wedge's eyes widened. "Oh no. Do you think we should contact-" Before he could finish Lando held up a hand to silence him and gestured to listen. On of the other Killisets was speaking now, his Basic, like the other Killiset's was heavily accented and a little difficult to understand.

"It is a good thing we are practicing our basic now…I hope to impress them tonight by speaking their language at the great banquet."

"You managed to get an invitation?" The quietest of the aliens asked in shock.

"Well, no, but I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of them at the least while they make their entrance at the royal palace."

Lando caught Wedge's eyes. "We have a place, we have a rough time and we have a major lead. Now we contact the others."

Wedge nodded, already pulling out his comlink.


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: _Wait let me check…Nope, still don't own Star Wars.

**Ties that Bind Ch.8**

Luke was hurrying along the streets after the urgent message Lando and Wedge had sent him. They were all to meet at the casino to plan their next course of action but there was really no question of whether they would follow the lead, it was simply a matter of what approach they would take. Luke ducked down an alleyway in order to avoid the crowds of Killisets; weirdly most of them seemed to be going his way. Despite the fact it was still daylight the buildings in this part of the city were so tall, and so close together that the alleyways between them were almost as dark as night. It was an eerie change from the rest of the city which was so bright and beautiful. Luke stretched out with the Force hoping to catch a glimpse of what could be going on, but aside from sensing their excitement, Luke could gain little from the aliens' minds. He tried to reach out further, but after a few moments he realized that his searching was distracting him from his surroundings and he stopped to catch his bearings.

"Uh oh," Luke muttered. "I must've turned down more alleyways than I thought and overshot the casino completely because this looks like the back of the spaceport…" Suddenly, Luke sensed a ripple in the Force behind him and he whirled around, his hand automatically reaching into his tunic for his lightsaber before he stopped himself from pulling it out completely. He felt a wave of shock hit him as his eyes caught the eyes of the figure behind him. In the darkness of the alleyway the majority of the man's face and body were shrouded in shadows but the pure red eyes that were focussed on him seemed to burn.

"Don't shoot!" The red eyed alien shouted and Luke realized that the man was pointing to his hand, still tucked into his tunic. Luke noticed that the hand the alien wasn't pointing with was held out to his side, clearly trying to show Luke he was unarmed. Luke let go of his lightsaber and pulled his hand out of his tunic.

"Who are you and why are you following me?" Luke was well aware of the description of Grand Admiral Thrawn but even though the stranger's red gaze resembled that description, he knew better then to jump to conclusions.

The alien took a step forward, his hands closed into fists at his sides and his eyes narrowed with indignation. "I am not following you, _sir._" The alien spat the last word out like an insult. "I was simply on my way to the spaceport when I heard a voice muttering something about the casino and assumed you were lost. I merely came to offer my assistance."

Luke's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, with a little extra help from the Force, and he could now see the alien in front of him fairly clearly. He was taller than Luke but equally lean, wearing a dark grey uniform with burgundy trim that looked suspiciously similar in design to an Imperial officer's uniform. Luke had never gotten a good look at Grand Admiral Thrawn himself, but from what he remembered Han and Lando telling him the two aliens were extremely similar in appearance. However, Luke was certain that this was not the admiral; despite being unfamiliar with the species he got the feeling this man was too young, perhaps around his own age. More importantly, the admiral would have likely been surrounded by guards and Luke would have been recognized instantly. Luke realized that the alien was still waiting for some kind of response from him and he racked his brain for a way to soothe the alien's irritation enough to convince him to answer some questions. He decided being mostly truthful would be the best way.

"I'm really sorry," Luke said honestly. "I have to admit I was pretty startled and just over-reacted…if you know where the casino is from here I could really use a guide."

The alien seemed to study him for a moment, then his hands loosened and he gave a graceful shrug. "Apology accepted. I am afraid I'm running a little late for my own meeting at the moment, so I cannot escort you all the way but I can lead you to the main road. Once there it will be easy for you to spot the casino."

Luke smiled. "Thanks, it'd be really appreciated."

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Lando had taken to drumming the table with his fingertips and a quick glance around told him that the others were as worried as he was. Wedge had contacted Luke first and then Tycho and Wes, yet the two pilots had arrived over twenty minutes ago and they were still waiting for Luke.

"It really hasn't been that long…I mean we have no idea how far north Luke was when you sent the message, right?" Wes tried to comfort the others but his own face betrayed his uneasiness. "Besides if he's in trouble he'll signal us with his communicator."

"Unless he's in a situation where he can't use it or is being stopped from using it or it was taken away from him. The fact that Wedge has already tried contacting him again without a response doesn't fill me with confidence." Lando growled. "I knew I should've pressed him not to go alone."

"Should a couple of us go out looking for him while the other two stay here in case he makes it?" Tycho asked.

Wedge shook his head. "No. I don't like us getting split up again, especially since we don't know for sure what's going on. Luke will be here, we just have to give him more time."

Lando looked out the window again, his face tense and his eyes searching. _Come on kid, where are you?_

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Grand Admiral Thrawn stood several meters away from the shuttle, his whole body tense and his eyes on the steadily darkening sky. Behind him were a dozen storm troopers, six on each side of the shuttle's entrance, standing at parade ground attention. Captain Pellaeon stood at the foot of the shuttle's ramp, watching the Admiral and wondering why he had not yet attempted to contact his younger brother. At first he and the Admiral had been quite calmly discussing the Killiset's customs and culture, preparing the captain for his first real contact with the natives. Yet as the minutes continued to pass by without a sign from the doctor, Thrawn had become continuously quieter until he silently broke away from the other Imperials to stand at his current position. Pellaeon knew he shouldn't question Thrawn's decision not to act but he was sorely tempted. The captain finally walked over to where the admiral was standing.

Thrawn did not turn from where he was looking but he spoke before Pellaeon had a chance to open his mouth. "I have not been standing idle, Captain." He held up his communicator. "I realized that it was possible my brother was still at the hospital, in which case he would not respond to his communicator for fear of bothering the patients, so I waited. It took him time to respond, but he did send me a message a couple of minutes ago."

Captain Pellaeon felt a wave of relief. "Then he's safe, sir?"

The Grand Admiral's jaw clenched for a split second before returning to his normal icy calm. "No, Captain, he is not. He had only time to greet me before he was cut off by a shout. I could hear the sounds of struggle then nothing but static…But his communicator has a tracking device in it. I sent word for the Chimaera to pinpoint the device's location, and then we can begin our search." Thrawn's eyes returned to looking out into the spaceport and Captain Pellaeon looked out as well, anger and dread churning in his stomach.

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Theeon stood pressed against the wall of a dark, dingy alley and mentally kicked himself for the hundredth time. He had been leading the supposedly lost man towards the main street when his communicator had beeped at him. Theeon didn't hesitate to answer it and greet his brother, realizing how worried the man must be at his lateness, but no sooner had Thrawn's name passed his lips then his new 'friend' showed his true colours. There was a shout and the communicator was ripped from his hands while he was knocked to the ground; he had managed to scramble to his feet and pull his blaster from his tunic only to watch it get cut in half by a blaze of green light. Now the tip of that glowing green blade was pointed at his chest as its' owner stared at him.

"Who are you?" The Jedi asked.

"I'm not telling you a thing, Skywalker." A thin smile touched the edges of Theeon's lips. "A pity for you, since there's so much I know about you."

The Jedi hesitated. "I don't want to hurt you; I sense genuine goodness within you. I simply wish to know who you are and why you are working for the Empire."

Theeon did not want to tell Skywalker anything about himself or the Empire but he also knew that his brother would need him to buy some time to organize a rescue. A thought struck the Chiss and he knew exactly how to distract the Jedi master.

"Who am I? What about you, Skywalker? I _know _who you are; I wish to know why _you_ aren't working for the Empire."

Skywalker seemed taken aback by the turn of questioning but he regained his composure quickly. "It is no secret who my father was, if that's what you mean. But in the end he renounced the Empire and the dark side."

"Renouncing the dark side is not the same thing as renouncing the Empire. Your father saw the potential greatness of the Empire, if only the evil of the Emperor could be overcome. He had such faith that you would help him achieve that greatness and instead you got him killed." Theeon watched as shock crossed Skywalker's face. He felt a twinge of guilt as he saw the pain that came through the shocked expression but he kept his own face impassive.

After a moment of regaining himself the Jedi spoke. "You knew my father?"

Theeon nodded. "Lord Vader trusted few people and I am proud to say that one of those few was me."

Skywalker stared at him, a strange mix of emotions playing across his face but before he could respond his communicator beeped, again. The whole time the Jedi was in Theeon's presence he had ignored the device, no doubt afraid of making the kind of mistake that Theeon had foolishly made. This time, though, he brought the communicator to his ear and answered while still keeping the lightsabre pointed at Theeon with one hand. "Wedge? Sorry I didn't answer before, I've been a little busy…I'm alright so far but that's going to change soon…Listen, tell the others to abandon the plan…Meet me by the ship in the spaceport…I've got the info we need but we've gotta get out of here." The Jedi turned the device off and looked into Theeon's eyes for a long moment.

"You said my father trusted you…that he told you he had plans for me and the Empire…would you say he was…your friend?" There was a searching look on Skywalker's face and Theeon did his best to keep his mind blank, afraid the Jedi would start trying to read his thoughts.

Theeon shrugged his shoulders gracefully. "Why does it matter anymore Skywalker? The man is dead, in no small part due to you."

Skywalker's eyes widened. "You blame me for his death? But it was-"

Suddenly they were cut off as they heard running footsteps towards them. Theeon turned his head to the sound and felt his heart sink as he saw four men round the corner of the alley, none of them in Imperial clothing. Skywalker lowered his lightsabre as the newcomers stopped to stare at Theeon.

"Is that…It can't be!" A dark haired, dark eyed man exclaimed.

"He's too young." The oldest looking man in the group said. "I've seen the Admiral, they might look almost the same but there's definitely an age gap."

"Gap? Try nearly thirty years…" Theeon muttered, noticing the older man was about to respond he added. "Speaking of the Admiral he and a great many Imperial troops will be arriving any second now. They may be coming from the far end of the spaceport, but if you want to make it past them to your ship…" Theeon gave a small, unpleasant smile. "Well, I suggest you hurry."

A sudden look of realization seemed to cross Skywalker's face even as the other four were beginning to move away. The older man grabbed Skywalker's arm and was about to drag him away when the Jedi spoke again. "Lando, I know who he is! Think about it! He looks just like the Admiral but he's younger. The Admiral is coming to his rescue; the Killisets spoke of another…"

Before Theeon could respond he saw understanding cross Lando's face along with a touch of something nastier, he exchanged a glance with Skywalker, who seemed to know what he was thinking and gave a small nod. Suddenly, Lando's blaster was pointed at Theeon and even as he pushed himself away from the wall to escape he felt a flash of pain through his chest then darkness overtook him.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars and I make no money off this story, it is purely for enjoyment.

_Note: Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing. Reviews are the fuel that keeps me going._

Ties that Bind Ch.9 

"That should keep the Imps busy while we make our escape." Lando said with grim satisfaction as the alien's body slid down the wall to the ground, twitching. "While they're taking care of junior here-"

"Something's not right." Luke could sense something was wrong and he bent next to the alien's body. Immediately he realized the problem. "Lando he's not breathing!"

Lando frowned and moved closer. "That's not possible it was just a stun bolt…"

Luke pressed his fingers against the alien's neck and felt his pulse still struggling to pump without oxygen. Even unconscious the alien reacted to the touch, his body trying to contort and his mouth opening, trying to gasp for a breath that would not come. It was like watching a man drowning and this close to the dying man Luke could feel a burning sensation in his own chest as though he too, were struggling to breathe.

"Lando help me lie him down flat, we've got to get him breathing again or he'll die!" Luke pulled the alien by his shoulders as Lando grabbed his ankles, pulling the alien away from the wall and flat on his back.

"Luke, the Imperials will be here any moment, we've got to get out of here…"

Luke didn't reply; time was running out for the alien. He remembered from his rebel training basic first aid, including how to get someone to start breathing if they had suddenly stopped. Unfortunately, he also remembered that it took only four minutes without oxygen for the human brain to suffer permanent damage. Could the alien handle more or less? Luke didn't know, but he was hoping time wouldn't run out. He opened the alien's mouth, took a breath and breathed into the other. He broke away to start pumping the alien's chest and was surprised that Lando had already anticipated the move and was ready to pump as soon as Luke broke away. They repeated the actions several times until Luke was ready to give up, when suddenly the alien made a raspy gasping noise. Lando stopped pumping and pulled away but even though the alien had started breathing again he did not regain consciousness.

"Luke, Lando we've got to get moving! I already sent Wes and Tycho to get the ship ready but we've got to hurry, I can hear the Imps marching towards us!" Wedge's voice cut through Luke's short-lived relief. Wedge had positioned himself at the corner of the alley about ten meters away, keeping lookout while Luke and Lando were busy with the alien.

Lando gritted his teeth. "We'll never make it on our own kid, the Imperials are too close now and there's too many. Even if we left junior here to distract them, it'd be seconds before they divided their forces to send some after us."

Luke knew what Lando was thinking and really didn't like the idea. From what he could sense of the alien and from his brief time with him, Luke could tell that he was a genuinely good man. The last thing he wanted to do was drag him into a hostage situation. However, there was little chance the group would be able to escape unless they had some edge over the Imperials, which taking the alien might give them…at least if they were right about his heritage. Luke also wasn't sure if the alien had recovered from the stun shot or if he would stop breathing again. The Imps were close but there was no guarantee that if the alien stopped breathing they would arrive in time to save him.

Luke gave a heavy sigh. "I guess we don't have a choice."

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Captain Pellaeon and Grand Admiral Thrawn marched at the front of a group of stormtroopers, flanked on either side with two of the best and with two more going ahead as scouts. They were following the signal _Chimaera_ had picked up for them. Suddenly Thrawn held up his hand and the procession stopped. He walked calmly to a section of the narrow alley and crouched to the ground, picking something up, studying it, then looking up to stare at the wall intently. Pellaeon moved up beside him, looking down but not crouching.

"Have you found something Admiral?" Pellaeon couldn't read the expression on his superior's face but he did see the tension in his jaw and knew something was very wrong. The admiral continued looking at the wall, his brow furrowing but he raised his fist and Pellaeon reached out to take what Thrawn was handing him. Pellaeon immediately recognized the device as an Imperial communicator and swallowed.

Thrawn stood up suddenly and turned to Pellaeon. "They could not have gotten far, Captain. Send the troops ahead and let the _Chimaera_ know that no ship is allowed to leave the planet. Make sure they know that any ship attempting to escape should be disabled but not destroyed. Make sure they understand that last part, Captain." Thrawn's voice was cold as ice and Pellaeon repressed a shiver at the last words. The captain signaled the troopers and sent word to the _Chimaera_ before turning his attention back to the admiral.

"I'm sure Dr. Theeon's alright, sir. The rebels wouldn't dare try to kill him, they're hoping to use him as a ticket to escape. They most likely just stunned him."

Thrawn's posture remained tense, his back to the captain and looking at the wall again. "That is what I am afraid of, Captain."

Pellaeon was a little taken aback. "I don't understand, sir."

The Grand Admiral finally turned to face him and Pellaeon could see the lines of tension and worry in the alien's face. Thrawn's voice became quite low, so only the two of them could hear. "My brother suffers from a dangerous respiratory condition. If triggered it can make his lungs seize up and prevent him from breathing…" Thrawn trailed off but it was clear to Pellaeon that a stun blast would easily be enough to trigger the younger alien's condition.

"Your brother must be alive, sir, there is no other reason for the rebels to take him otherwise…" Pellaeon tried to sound as soothing as he could, repressing his own slowly growing dread.

"Unless they didn't want me to know he was dead…" Thrawn paused, then took a deep breath and his face returned to his usual calm, impossible to read expression. "No Captain, you are right. My brother is not dead. One of the rebels was Skywalker and I know he is not cold blooded enough to let someone die like that, not when he doesn't even know who they are."

"How did you know about Skywalker, sir?" Pellaeon was baffled by the admiral's revelation. Thrawn said nothing but pointed to a blaster a few meters away. Pellaeon moved towards it and realized it was only half a blaster, the other half resting a few centimeters away. Only a lightsaber could make such a clean cut through a blaster.

Before Pellaeon could respond further Thrawn's communicator signaled him. The captain moved closer to hear the trooper's nervous voice. "Admiral, we just saw the rebels enter a class BFF-1 Bulk Freighter, we were unable to fire as two of them were carrying your brother, who appeared unconscious, and the third was too close. We attempted to disable the ship but…"

Thrawn looked at Pellaeon. "Captain, notify the _Chimaera_ about the freighter and remind them that they must only aim to disable the ship. Major, assemble your troops and prepare to meet me back at our shuttle." Thrawn turned off his communicator and Pellaeon could feel him watching as the captain contacted the _Chimaera_ and gave the orders.

"Should I inform the Killisets of our situation before we leave, Admiral?" Pellaeon asked.

"No, Captain, I will tell them myself." He gave a small, grim smile. "If there is one small bright side to this mess, it is that the rebels have no idea the kind of political backlash they have in store for them. The Killisets are not the only people who owe my brother…It is time I start calling on a great many debts."

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Wedge Antilles gritted his teeth and dug his fingers into the material of his chair. They had blasted out of the planet's atmosphere and furiously started preparing for lightspeed while dodging blasts from a star destroyer. He, Wes and Tycho were ready to jump into their X-wings but Luke had pointed out it would be less risky if they stayed in the ship and manned the gun turrets instead. Of course, Luke was absolutely right. If they had any doubts about the alien's connection to the Grand Admiral they were swept away by the almost hesitant way the star destroyer was shooting at them. The X-wings would have had no such protection. Tycho and Wes had both gone to the turrets while Lando had taken the pilot's chair and Wedge the co-pilot's spot. Luke had strapped the unconscious alien into the seat behind Wedge but chose to remain standing himself. The ship shook with a heavy hit that jerked all of them around, Luke grabbing onto the back of Wedge's seat to keep from falling over. A groan sounded behind him and Wedge had to fight to keep his eyes on the destroyer, their blue buddy could wait.

"Another hit like that and this ship will be helpless. Wedge, do you have those lightspeed coordinates yet?" Lando's voice was tense.

"Six seconds, five, four, three, two…they're ready Calrissian, punch it!"

Lando wasted no time and Luke barely had the chance to sit down behind him as the space in front of them was reduced to star lines. Wedge let out a sigh of relief he hadn't known he was holding and caught Lando's eyes. Lando gestured to the alien behind him. "Good thing our little blue buddy was here or that star destroyer would've torn us to pieces."

"Please refrain from calling me your 'little blue buddy'. I am neither little or your buddy." The alien's eyes were still closed but his voice managed to have an edge of wry humor despite still sounding a little groggy.

"Sorry, junior, didn't mean to offend you." Lando said dryly.

The alien's eyes slowly opened and he raised a hand to his head, rubbing his temple. Luke watched him with concern. "How are you feeling?"

The alien turned to look at him and for a moment their eyes locked, each man trying to read the other. "My lungs feel like they're on fire and my head is pounding but I've had worse." He paused and a small smirk touched his lips. "I can handle the pain but if your friend keeps calling me those ridiculous nicknames I may snap."

Luke smiled. "If it makes you feel better I get it all the time too. Of course if we knew your name…"

"Dr. Mitth'eeo'nuruodo." The alien cut him off smoothly.

Lando raised an eyebrow. "I think I'll stick to 'junior'."

Wedge knew he couldn't repeat that name without a lot of practice first but that wasn't the only thing he realized. "Did you say doctor?"

Mitt'eeo'something-or-other turned his red gaze to Wedge. "Indeed I did. I trust you expected I follow in the Grand Admiral's footsteps? Never mind that you simply assumed my connection to him…"

At that Lando piped up. "Oh come on kiddo, that part wasn't exactly tough to figure out. You look just like him and you're obviously younger, not to mention no one dared to take a shot at us while we were carrying you. If superiors kill troopers for not shining their armor enough, I'm pretty sure everyone would be terrified at what would happen for accidentally shooting Daddy's little boy."

The alien raised an eyebrow. "Most humans tend to believe all members of our species look the same because we all have red eyes, blue skin and dark hair. The subtle differences in color shades and physical features are usually lost on your kind. Still, I suppose Thrawn and I do look remarkably alike…However, you are wrong. He is not my father."

Luke leaned forward studying the alien's face. "You're telling the truth but you're also trying to hide something…"

"Get out of my head Jedi!" The doctor hissed with icy anger. "You have no right to invade my mind. By the laws of your own Republic you had no right to imprison me. You have no proof that I am an Imperial, no proof that I have done anything to harm you or your government…and you of all people cannot hold it against me if I do have family ties to the Empire!"

Wedge winced as he watched Luke flinch at the alien's words and he spoke up for his friend. "Luke fought against Vader's evil and brought him to the good side. You're helping the bad guys. I saw the blaster cut in half, that's proof enough for me that you tried to hurt Luke!"

The alien's breathing was becoming ragged as his anger and excitement started to take its' toll. "What a simplistic view of the galaxy you rebels have…everything is either good or evil…you take everything at face value…never thinking to look beyond it…never…" The alien stopped unable to continue through his ragged breathing. He bent over in his seat as the restraints held him up. Luke quickly bent over to undo the restraints, allowing the alien to breathe more freely. After a few tense moments the alien sat up again, looking paler but breathing almost normally again.

Luke sighed and looked up at the others. "Given the circumstances I can't blame the doctor for pulling a weapon, anyone would have in his situation. This whole mission has turned into a mess but we may still be able to salvage it." Luke looked down at the alien. "Do you need something for the pain?"

The alien shook his head dazedly. "I can't…risk it…might make worse…just have to …suffer through it." The alien looked up at Luke. "I do need…to lie down…please…" He reached a hand up weakly and Luke helped him to his feet, letting the alien lean on him for support. Wedge felt a pang of guilt that he had triggered the other man's suffering and went to the other side of the alien, ducking under his arm to help support him further. Together he and Luke half dragged and half carried the alien to the medical bunker. Wedge realized once they got their that the alien had passed out and they laid him down gently.

"What do you think, Luke?" This whole mission had gone so badly and Wedge felt a strange mixture of guilt, confusion and worry.

Luke shook his head and looked down at their prisoner. "I think things are a lot more complicated then they seem and I hate to say it but I'm sure things will get a lot worse before they get better."


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: Don't own it. George Lucas does._

_Author's note: OK so I'm hoping people liked the last chapter…Please remember that reviews help me know how I'm doing and help me update. Also, if you like Thrawn, check out my new story Star Wars: Galaxy Under Siege- he's not mentioned in the summary but he'll play a starring role. Oh and don't worry I will update both!_

**Ties Ch.10**

The emergency communication alarm jolted both Leia and Han awake in the middle of the night. Leia jumped out of bed first, as the alarm was on her side, but she could feel Han directly behind her. She flicked a switch on the communications console which simultaneously turned the alarm off and the sound on. Luckily for her and Han she was awake enough to remember not to turn on the visual. Immediately she heard Luke's voice come out of the device.

"Leia, Han, are you there?"

Leia answered. "We're here Luke, what's wrong?"

"I have some bad news," Luke hesitated. "Really bad news. First off, Grand Admiral Thrawn is alive…and in all likelihood in league with the Killisets. While we didn't see him face to face our source…well let's just say our source is either really reliable or a remarkably talented fraud."

Han scowled. "Trust the one time a Noghri failed to kill a target to be that guy."

Leia sighed in frustration. "Thrawn being back is bad enough, but to have the Killisets on his side could be disastrous! They're a key trading point in that part of the galaxy, if they go to the side of the Empire; many of the systems around them will likely follow."

Luke winced. "It gets worse."

Leia glared at the console. "How can it get worse?"

"The mission took a turn for the worst and to make a long story short we accidentally kidnapped someone who may or may not be related to Grand Admiral Thrawn. Whoever he was the Imperials tried really hard to be careful when trying to capture us." Luke spoke quickly but there was no softening the blow.

Leia played the information slowly through her head. If this _someone _was related to Thrawn…his son, maybe…She thought of her own two children and how the Admiral had tried to kidnap her while she was pregnant with them…and for a split second the thought of revenge crossed her mind…her dark thoughts were cut off by Han's voice.

"What do you mean accidentally kidnapped? How do you accidentally kidnap someone? Those two words don't fit together, kid!"

Luke sighed. "I know it sounds crazy, but trust me, when you hear the whole story it'll make sense."

"Wait are you bringing him here?" Leia asked suddenly.

She could almost hear the frown in Luke's voice. "Do you have a better suggestion?"

Leia wracked her brain. "Luke, do you know if he's an Imperial soldier or a civilian? Do you have proof he attacked you first? If he's a soldier then we can arrest him under the Prisoner of War Act and even if he's not if he attacked you first we can charge him with attacking a dignitary of the New Republic."

Luke was quiet for a moment, and then he sighed. "He said he is a doctor but he never specified if he was with the military or not…At the moment he's passed out on the medical bunker, for some reason the stun bolt we used had some serious side effects. I could try to wake him and ask if it'd help."

Leia shook her head. "Do you think he'd give us an honest answer?"

Luke paused as though seriously considering the question. "While he has been pretty ambiguous he hasn't actually lied about anything. I'm pretty sure he'd be honest if we asked him directly." He sighed. "That's one of the frustrating things about all this, from what I can sense he's a genuinely good person…What started this mess was him offering to help me because he thought I was lost."

Leia bit her lip. "It doesn't matter if he attacked you first. We can still explain the capture…"

Luke cut her off. "Technically, he drew a weapon first but to be honest, it was only a reaction to me ripping his communicator from him."

Han shrugged, looking at Leia. "Well, technically, there's no way to prove the guy didn't attack Luke first."

She shook her head. "Without evidence, it just becomes a case of did what and both sides will be at a stalemate. I guess we have no choice, Luke. How long will it take you to get back?"

"Our ship took some damage so we'll have to stop by a safe spaceport to get some materials for repairs but I'm sure we can be back in three or four days."

"Then tomorrow morning I'll inform the Council about the situation…Luke, if he tells you anything, absolutely _anything _that we can use against him or the Grand Admiral let me know immediately. If he turns out be some innocent alien who accidentally stumbled into this, the New Republic could be in serious political hot water."

"I know he has connections to Thrawn, but I'll do my best to find out what they are…and when I do I'll let you know. I should go now, take care you two and may the Force be with you."

"Good luck, kid. I think you're gonna need it." Han said.

Leia said softly. The console went silent and Leia switched it off. She leaned over it, deep in thought, until she felt Han's arms wrap around her and she turned to face him.

"Luke will think of something," Han placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "He always does."

She pressed her face against his chest and sighed softly. "I know Han, I know…but I can't shake the feeling that things will get worse before they get better."

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Theeon woke up in a daze but the horrible chest pains from earlier had diminished and he felt strong enough to sit up. He winced in pain at the movement but finally managed to shift his body, his back against the wall and his feet dangling over the side of the bed.

"Good to see you're awake."

Theeon turned his head to look in the corner of the small room to see Skywalker leaning against the wall. In such a small space it should have been impossible for Theeon not to notice the Jedi right away, but his brain was still somewhat fuzzy. He noticed the Jedi frown and realized dimly that the other man looked concerned…but it was too hard to focus and Theeon closed his eyes and leant his head back against the wall in an effort to collect himself. He could hear Skywalker approach but made no effort to move or speak.

"I've never seen anyone react so badly to a blaster shot before…is there anything I can do?" Skywalker's worrying tone goaded prodded Theeon to respond at last.

"I could use a glass of water," Theeon whispered hoarsely. He opened his eyes again and found himself able to focus more clearly. "As cold as you can make it, please."

Skywalker nodded and left to get him the things he had requested. Theeon looked around the room absently and tried to collect his thoughts. There was no doubt that he was at a huge disadvantage. He was outnumbered, weapon less and still reeling from his latest respiratory attack…even if he could steal a shuttle or escape pod he was in no condition to fly. On the other hand, Skywalker seemed genuinely concerned for his well-being and Theeon strongly suspected that the only reason the rebels brought him to their ship was because they didn't want to leave him to die. Of course, had they abandoned Theeon after shooting him and he did die next to his cut in half blaster…he couldn't imagine the wrath the rebels would face from his brother…Theeon was pulled from his thoughts by Skywalker's voice.

"Are you still awake?"

Theeon realized that his eyes were closed and opened them again. "Yes, I just…I guess I'm still a little woozy." Skywalker nodded and handed him a tall glass of water and a cool, damp cloth. Theeon held the cloth to his forehead with one hand and sipped from the glass of water in his other. Last thing he needed to do was choke by drinking to greedily. He looked up at Skywalker and gave a faint smile. "Thank you."

Skywalker pulled up a stool next to the bed. "Don't mention it, things might be a little…awkward at the moment but that doesn't mean we can't try to get along."

Theeon watched the Jedi, keeping his own face neutral. "Is this point where you start interrogating me?"

Skywalker shook his head. "The New Republic doesn't work like that. I need to ask you questions but I won't force you to answer anything."

Theeon considered this a moment before responding. "So what makes you think I will tell you anything, Skywalker?"

The Jedi shrugged and looked him straight in the eyes. "I don't think you like being dishonest; you're just trying to protect yourself. Given the circumstances, I can hardly blame you for that. Oh and you can call me Luke, if it's easier."

"Skywalker is not difficult to pronounce," Theeon gave a sly smile. "But my name is, so I take it you're trying to get me to tell you an easier version of my name?"

Luke returned the smile. "I could start calling you 'little blue buddy' like Lando did, if you'd prefer."

Theeon chuckled. "Alright you win this round. My core name is Theeon; you may refer to me by that. However, I would prefer at least Dr. Theeon in public."

"So you really are a doctor?"

Theeon raised an eyebrow. "You thought I was lying?"

Luke shrugged again. "I never really had the chance to talk to you about it…So do you work at a hospital, family practice, in the military…"

Theeon smirked. "Not very subtle, Luke. However, I can actually answer this honestly without ending up in front of a military tribunal. In truth, I do not work for the Empire…not directly at least. I go where I feel I am needed. Which is why I was on Killiset."

Skywalker's eyes widened and he leaned forward. "So you are connected to the Imperial presence on Killiset."

Theeon nodded. "I was summoned to their aid by my…by the Grand Admiral. The Imperials had heard rumours of a plague among the Killisets and had investigated to see what they could do, but the Imperials found themselves out of their depth and that's when they turned to me."

Luke looked sceptical. "The Empire never helps anyone without expecting some kind of payback. What was their price in return?"

Theeon shook his head sadly. "You have only ever seen the ugly side of the Empire, Luke, but there are good people working for them too. As I said before, the galaxy is not black and white…even you must admit within the glorious New Republic there are those who are greedy and self-serving just as there are those who are good. It is no different in the Empire. If only selfish and ignorant men and women worked within the Empire it would've collapsed in its' first year. It is easy to vilify the Grand Admiral because of the act he had to put on to woo Imperials in the core of the galaxy to follow his side. But if you knew of his remarkable work in the Unknown Regions…" He suddenly stopped, realizing he had said far too much. "You would realize that Thrawn would far rather encourage people to his side by doing something good rather than use force."

Luke watched him for a moment then looked thoughtfully at the wall for a moment. "You truly believe what you say. I can sense your faith in him so strongly it's like looking into a light." He turned his eyes to Theeon's once more. "You said before that Thrawn wasn't your father…but I can sense something, a powerful bond…if he isn't your father, who is he?"

Theeon glanced away from Skywalker's earnest expression. "I suppose you will find out sooner than later anyways…" He met Luke's eyes again but now he felt a sense of pride, there was no reason to be anything but proud of his connection. "Grand Admiral Thrawn is my older brother. Despite the hardships that often forced us apart he has been a brother and father, friend and mentor to me."

Luke stood from his chair and turned away, when he spoke it was with his back to Theeon. "You mentioned before, that you knew my father…that he even considered you a friend…Was it because he was friends with Thrawn, too?"

Theeon looked at Skywalker's back, unsure what to say. "Palace politics made it hard for either of them to show friendship with anyone…despite their different methods they often shared similar views and would make alliances when they could. But they had to be careful, if the Emperor suspected that they were trying to join forces against him…My brother told me of Vader's death and how he turned against the Emperor to save you…I thought it was a fitting way for him to die, finally showing his noble self."

Luke's shoulders slumped slightly, but he turned around to face Theeon again. He seemed unsure what to say for a moment and Theeon could only imagine how many thoughts and questions were floating in his head. Before he had a chance though the door slid open and the man Luke had called "Lando" walked in. The man glanced at Theeon for a moment then turned his attention to Luke.

"We've reached Thulomon; we should be able to land in a few minutes to get our supplies. It shouldn't take us long."

Luke nodded. "I'll be right with you."

Lando turned to Theeon. "Feeling better, junior?"

Despite his sincere tone Theeon could see the amusement in his eyes and sat up straighter before responding. "That's _doctor_ to you, and I'm feeling fine now."

"Good to hear Dr. Junior, because since you're feeling fine you can help us with repairs." With that the smirking man walked out the door.

"I'm beginning to strongly dislike him." Theeon said dryly. He noticed the far-off look on Skywalker's face and realized the other man hadn't heard him. "Skywalker?"

Luke shook his head. "I'm sorry it's just…when I get back will you tell me more? About my father, I mean."

"I will tell you what I can."


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: This story is for fun, not profit folks._

_Author's note: I'm a little embarrassed to say that I didn't realize anonymous reviews were automatically disabled, so if you couldn't review before I've enabled them now._

**Ties Ch.11**

Han Solo glared across the Council table and listened silently as Borsk Fey'lya tore into Leia about Luke, the mission to Killiset, the supposed incompetence of Lando, Wedge and everyone else on the mission…Han would have spoken up ages ago and told the Bothan exactly where he could stick his opinions but Leia's death grip on his hand under the table was a constant reminder to hold his tongue. Luckily Luke had been able to send them another message that morning with much more details about what had happened, the Imperial's connections to the Killisets and who their accidental kidnapping victim really is. Han repressed a smirk at that thought…all the times Thrawn tried to kidnap Leia and their children without success and his own baby brother practically stumbled into their hands. With the information had Luke provided, Leia and Han had been a bit better prepared for the emergency meeting, but it sure didn't stop the backlash. Fey'lya finally took a pause and Leia was able to jump in at last.

"As I said before, Councillor Fey'lya, they were forced to take him. Their only prospects were either leaving him to possibly die, which would've likely made the Empire even angrier, or taking him with them…what else could they have done? Wait until the Imperials arrived to take care of the man and hope they wouldn't be too angry about the misunderstanding?"

Fey'lya was quick to retort. "If Calrissian hadn't been so incompetent as to fire a stun bolt at the already unarmed alien…"

Han had had enough. "That so-called incompetent man helped blow up the second Death Star, _Fey'lya_, so start showing him some respect! Same for Luke, Wedge and the others…they're ten times the heroes you'll ever be."

Leia's fingernails were biting into his skin like miniature knives but Han was passed caring. He could only handle listening to so much of the Bothan's poisonous insults. Fey'lya's fur rippled in what Han thought was indignation and the alien was about to respond when Mon Mothma's gavel came down on the table.

"That is enough, both of you! Clearly this situation has gotten out of hand but we cannot forget the important information we have also learned from the mission… We now know that Grand Admiral Thrawn is indeed alive and if so will likely be gathering his forces to strike at the New Republic once more. We also know that the Killisets are loyal to the Empire due to what they perceive to be the heroic rescue of their people from a disease. Given the trick the Empire played on the Noghri, I believe it is likely that a similar trick is at play here…In which case, the opportunity to question this "Dr. Theeon" may prove immensely helpful." Mon Mothma's calm and logic managed to soothe everyone at the table, at least enough to keep Han and Fey'lya away from each other's throats.

Beside him, Leia sighed and loosened her grip. "At any rate, we won't be able to fully gauge the situation until Luke and the others arrive, until then I will do all the research I can to find out everything about the Killisets, their plague and their Imperial connections as possible."

Mon Mothma nodded her assent. "If that is all, meeting adjourned."

Han helped Leia with her information disks and data cards, then guided her swiftly out of the room. He didn't want to spend a second longer in there than he had to. He was a little surprised that Leia didn't put up her normal resistance; usually he had to fight her to get her away from the meetings. They finally reached their quarters and Han felt a wave of relief as the door slid shut behind them. Leia immediately pulled away and moved to stand in the center of the room, her hands balled into fists. Han let out a sigh. It was clearly time to start apologizing…

"Leia, I…"

Suddenly, she whirled around, trembling with anger. "How _dare_ he! How dare that backstabbing, good for nothing, son of a rancor say those things about our friends! He wasn't there, he doesn't know what they really went through…and I just had to sit there calmly and…" She finally seemed to notice the look of shock on Han's face and paused, speechless.

Han stared at her a moment before giving her one of his characteristic roguish smiles. "Wow am I ever glad it's Fey'lya you're mad at and not me!"

Leia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The flare of anger faded and she was left just looking tired and sad. Han hated seeing her like this. He moved over to her and wrapped his arms around her, she hugged him back. "Oh Han, how can I be mad at you for what you said? Everything you said was true…it was what I would have said if I could escape the need for diplomacy for just a few seconds…"

"Yeah it's lucky for you that I'm around to be un-diplomatic for you."

Leia looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks for not paying attention when I tried to stop you…"

"Oh think nothing of it. Even if you broke my hand I wouldn't have noticed…annoying Fey'lya has the most amazing effect on me…it's like a really powerful painkiller…" Han grinned as he watched Leia start to laugh. "If you think that's funny you should hear some of the jokes Lando and I came up with about him…"

Things are never truly awful…Han thought…so long as you can get the ones you love to laugh.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Captain Pellaeon stood next to Grand Admiral Thrawn in the luxurious meeting room in the royal palace of Ashwaraseti, surrounded by Killiset officials representing all of the planets in the Killiset sector. When they had arrived at the palace's banquet hall, well over an hour late, Pellaeon had expected some form of anger from the aliens but instead they were met with great concern by the entire congregation. Of course, Thrawn masterfully used this to his advantage...announcing to everyone that Dr. Theeon had not only disappeared but that they had already found evidence of foul play. Gasps, shouts and even crying filled the air until the leader of the Royal Council managed to call everyone to order and usher the Imperials and Killiset officials into the meeting room.

"Oh great Imperial leaders, please sit down, you must be so distraught from your ordeal…" said the leader, Ek'swa'ra'det. He was grey haired but unusually tall for his species, almost reaching Thrawn's shoulder.

Thrawn shook his head. "I thank you for your generosity, my friend, but I cannot rest until I know my brother is safe."

One of the other officials spoke up, "What can we do to aid the Great Doctor? If there is a ransom, the people of my planet, Sikelti, will gladly help you pay…" The other officials all began agreeing and nodding their heads but Thrawn shook his head again and held up his hand.

"I am afraid it will not be so easy. You see, the evidence we found suggests that it was high ranking members of the New Republic government who kidnapped my brother, in which case they are unlikely to accept a ransom for his safe return." Thrawn's cool demeanour melted a bit, giving the smaller aliens a glimpse of his concern. "I fear they will punish him for my actions against their government or else force me to trade myself for his freedom and that would undoubtedly lead to my execution. I would gladly give my life for my brother but to do so would jeopardize the Empire that I have spent so much of my life fighting for."

Ek'swa'ra'det considered Thrawn's words carefully. "Perhaps we could accuse the New Republic of kidnapping a Killiseti citizen…both Dr. Theeon and yourself were going to be made honorary citizens of Seti I at today's banquet, but even without the ceremony the records are officially ready. Such a crime from a foreign government is considered an act of war by our people…"

"It is a great honour to be considered one of your citizens but I cannot ask for your people to join our war against the Republic…" Thrawn's voice was calm but Pellaeon was shocked. Wasn't the point to get people to join the Empire? Before he could voice his question Thrawn continued speaking. "You're people have suffered so much and are still recovering from that dreadful plague…you cannot afford to send people off to a war that is not even yours to fight."

The official from Sikelti spoke up again. "There must be something we can do!"

Thrawn gave a small smile. "Indeed there is. I would be grateful if you could spread my brother's story to your allies and trading partners. Tell them of the good work he has done for you, how you wanted to honour him with citizenship and how the New Republic stole him from the safety of your streets."

A look of understanding crossed Ek'swa'ra'det's face. "That is an excellent idea! We will shame the New Republic into letting him go! And if that is not enough, we will also encourage our allies and trading partners to boycott trade and products from the New Republic…Most of the planets and sectors in this region of space rely on each other and can easily do without trading with the New Republic…They need us more than we need them!"

"That is an excellent idea Ek'swa'ra'det. You are certain such an act would not affect your own people?" Thrawn asked. Pellaeon watched the admiral with admiration; here he was with a missing brother, yet still showing concern for the Killisets' well being. Looking around at the faces of the short aliens, he realized they were likely thinking the same thing.

"Oh Great Admiral Thrawn your compassion for the Killiset people knows no limits! We would be honoured to return your loyalty and we will do all we can to ensure the Hero Doctor Theeon's safety."

"I thank you but now we must go. My people and I must prepare ourselves…we are leaving tomorrow morning with the hope we will be able to catch up to the ship we believe the kidnappers used to take my brother." Thrawn bowed his head and Pellaeon followed suit.

The halls outside the meeting room had been cleared of guests and the Imperials made it to their shuttle with surprising speed. The Grand Admiral was very quiet as they made their way to the ship and the captain was uncertain if he should speak or leave the admiral to his thoughts.

"You must think I only care about my brother as a political pawn."

Pellaeon was a little caught off guard by the admiral's sudden statement and so he answered more honestly than he probably should have. "Actually, Admiral, you strike me as being very protective considering your brother is a grown adult…I mean…" He caught the other man's red eyes and was relieved when he smiled.

"As I often tell Theeon, no matter how old he gets or what accomplishments he achieves he will always be my kis'a'dabeo…and since I refuse to think of myself as old, he'll just have to be a child." Pellaeon chuckled at Thrawn's joke, a rare treat from the admiral, and took comfort that he was confident enough to still have some sense of humour. After all, things were never truly awful when a friend could still make you laugh.


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: Star Wars still doesn't belong to me._

_Author's note: Sorry about the wait…massive computer problems lately ___

**Ties Ch.12**

They landed in a section of Thulomon forest that was about an hour's journey on foot to the Gagne spaceport. At this point it was too dangerous to land in the spaceport itself thanks to the risk of detection. Lando, Wes and Tycho had gone to the spaceport to get the parts they needed but considering they had to walk it would be some time until they got back. Luke and Wedge had been left behind to fix whatever parts of the ship could be fixed while the others were gone and, of course, to keep an eye on their guest. Normally, Luke would hate being left behind in a situation like this but Lando had insisted it would be better for Luke to stay behind. At first Luke had felt confused and wondered if it was some sort of punishment for going off on his own on Killiset but then he had sensed something from Lando…and realized that the older man had clearly heard more of the conversation between Luke and Dr. Theeon than he had let on. That had been less than an hour ago but Luke and Wedge were already almost done all the repairs they could do without the extra parts.

"Hey Luke, could you pass me the hydrospanner?" Wedge called out from the narrow maintenance tunnel, with only his boots sticking out. Luke knelt, looking around at the various tools and scattered parts that littered the floor and started sifting through the mess. He noted there were at least five hydrospanners of various sizes and shapes.

"Which one, Wedge?" Luke, still on his knees, shuffled over to the maintenance tunnel and called into it. "There's at least five out here."

"Uh try the one with the narrow top and the grooved handle."

Luke picked up the one he was relatively sure was right, crawled back to the tunnel and passed the tool to Wedge. Since it was such a tight squeeze Luke wasn't able to see if Wedge could find it so he waited until he felt it pulled from his hand. After a couple minutes of scratching, banging and bumping Luke figured it was safe to assume Wedge had things taken care of and he got up to check on Dr. Theeon when he heard Wedge call again.

"Nope I guess this isn't the right one…maybe try the one with ridges on the handle and the little square thingy on the bottom." Luke moved back toward the pile when Wedge called again. "Wait take this one first, I have too much stuff already in here."

Just as Luke reached into the tunnel to take the hydrospanner back he heard Artoo enter the room twittering furiously. With his head and shoulders already in the tunnel and his hand still waiting for Wedge to find it he couldn't turn to see the droid enter the room but he could at least get it to pick the right tool. He stuck his free hand backward out of the maintenance tunnel, "Hey Artoo can you pass me a hydrospanner…"

Wedge cut him off, "With ridges on the handle and a little square thingy on the bottom!" Wedge finally managed to pass Luke the other tool and for a moment they waited patiently while they heard Artoo's irritated twittering and the shuffling noises of equipment being moved around. Finally, Luke felt something being placed in his hand.

"Thanks!" Luke called back.

"Don't mention it."

The unexpected voice caught Luke off guard and he bumped his head as he tried to get up. A soft curse from in front of him told Luke that Wedge had jumped up at the same time. He quickly scrambled out of the tunnel and turned, still in a crouch, to where he last heard the voice, reaching automatically for his lightsaber as he did. Standing tall above him was Dr. Theeon with his hands raised in surrender and an amused smirk on his face.

"You rebels certainly are a jumpy lot. May I put my arms down now or are you going to draw your lightsaber?" The doctor's voice was calm, with a hint of amusement and Luke knew he didn't really expect them to harm him. He was about to respond when Wedge finally pulled himself out of the tunnel and beat him to it.

"We're members of the New Republic now, so you can stop calling us rebels."

"You can call yourselves Ewoks for all I care; I'd just like to put my hands down without worrying about losing a body part." Dr. Theeon said coolly.

Luke shook his head, "You know I'm not going to pull my lightsaber on you. I'm surprised you left the infirmary though, I didn't think you'd want to socialize…"

Wedge cut him off, "Wait you mean you didn't lock his room? He could've found a blaster, shot us in the back and take off with…"

"There aren't any dangerous weapons or tools lying around in the ship for him to hurt us with and all the rooms and exits are locked except for the infirmary and lounge. Plus, this frigate requires at least two people to fly so it's not like he could've started off without us noticing." Luke got up and offered his hand to help Wedge. When they were both onto their feet, Luke turned his attention back to Dr. Theeon. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better thank you. Actually, the reason I left the infirmary was because it was so quiet when I woke up. I was wondering where everyone had gone."

"Yeah I'm sure you really missed us." Wedge said rolling his eyes.

"Not really, but I was beginning to get rather hungry and figured if I was left alone it meant I had permission to feed myself."

Luke winced. "Sorry about that. The last time I checked you were sleeping so I didn't bother bringing you breakfast. If you can wait a few minutes when Wedge and I finish cleaning up you can join us for lunch."

"And if you help us clean up we'll all be eating sooner…" Wedge added.

"Very well," Dr. Theeon started picking up parts with the others, "but if you're putting me to work, lunch had better be something better than a ration bar."

Wedge grinned and gestured to the doctor, "See Luke we've got him working for the New Republic already!"

Dr. Theeon gave a disdainful snort, "Don't get your hopes up, rebel."

But despite the doctor's cool tone, Luke was certain he could sense the other's amusement.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lando, Wes and Tycho raced through the forest towards the waiting ship, struggling not to drop anything while still moving as fast as they could. Lando had sent a message along to Luke to have the ship ready for take off; they'd have to finish repairs on the run. He felt a cramp begin to form in his side and was quickly forced to stop running and walk for a bit. That had basically been their mode of travel since they left Gagne, or Gag Me as Lando liked to think of it. They would all run until one of them had to slow down and then they'd walk together until they got their wind back and were able to run again. Lando had definitely not been up to running for an hour straight from the city. Unfortunately, they couldn't risk the ship coming too close to the city to pick them up, there would be far too many there wanting to stop them from going. At least in the forest they would have the benefit of everyone having to come to them.

"I wish I was in my X-Wing…This body is meant to fly not run!" Wes panted beside him.

"It's not far now guys, we'll make it!" Tycho wasn't breathing hard at all and was no doubt trying to sound confidant to cheer him and Wes up. But Lando found himself glaring slightly at the younger man and was a little relieved when he noticed Wes glare too. Well, it was at least a little comforting to know that one of the younger guys was having as much trouble as he was. The sound of his comlink beeping was almost a relief as it would give him a bit more time to breathe. He flicked the switch on.

Luke's voice greeted him, "Lando, we've managed to get a lock on your location, you guys are close enough for us come pick up now. Stay there, we'll meet you in a couple minutes."

"Don't worry, Luke, I've got a crazy idea that might help us get out of this…we'll need to hurry but I'm sure we can pull it off. I'll explain when you get here." Lando thumbed the comlink off.

"They're coming to pick us up?" Wes asked, relieved. "Good, cause I don't want to run another step!"

Tycho grinned, "Think on the bright side, you just did more running in the last hour than you've done in your entire life! You're body will thank you."

"If what I'm feeling now is any clue my body is pretty mad at me." Wes groaned.

Lando shook his head, "You think you're in pain now, wait for an hour or two when your muscles really start complaining…believe me it'll hurt worse before it starts to feel better."

Lando and Tycho both started laughing at the exaggerated look of horror on Wes' face. Before Wes could respond they all heard the sound of engines approaching and looked to the sky, catching site of the rebel frigate. It began to lower the ramp even before it touched the ground. Luke was standing at the entrance and waved them on, Lando and the others ran up the ramp and it closed behind them.

Luke turned towards the cockpit but spoke as he moved. "We should probably take off right now and get out before the Imperials can arrive. Some Thulomon citizens might try to block us with their ships but they won't dare try to shoot at us with the doctor on board. The Empire will have a lot more confidence in their ability to cripple our ship."

They arrived in the cockpit and Lando was a little surprised to find the alien sitting in one of the crew chairs, but then he noticed his hands had been tied to the chair arms. Well, if the Imperials needed proof he was alive they could easily bring him to the com. At the moment though, Lando needed to focus on their escape plan.

"Has anyone heard of a 'Suicidal Gambler's Escape'?" Lando asked.

Wedge turned from his spot in the co-pilot's seat. "No, but the name doesn't exactly fill me with confidence."

"Not me either," The alien said calmly. "You do know that had you simply let me free when we first landed on the planet…"

Lando shook his head, "Sorry Junior, but we knew making this emergency landing would give the Imps a chance to catch up. We didn't have a choice, though and since it's guaranteed that they'll at least avoid blowing us out of the sky while you're here we couldn't let you off."

"Perhaps, but if they thought you had abandoned me here…"

"They'd shoot us out of the sky for revenge or split up their forces so some could search for you while the others chased after us. Now can I please explain my plan or do I have to gag you?" Lando was beginning to feel irritated but Dr. Theeon went silent. "Now, I'll admit I've never done a 'Suicidal Gambler's Escape' before but Han has and he told me all about how to pull it off…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sir, our contacts on Thulomon have just confirmed that a frigate was spotted landing in the forest not far from the city of Gagne. It has the same markings and description as the one the rebels were using." The chief communications officer reported.

Pellaeon gave the man a nod of acknowledgement and turned his attention back to the Grand Admiral in his command chair. Yet again, the man had been three steps ahead of Pellaeon and they would be arriving in the planet's system in mere minutes. "How did you guess they would go to Thulomon for their repairs sir? There were dozens of more logical planets for them to go…"

"As you know the Killisets were able to find enough witnesses who caught sight of the rebels to allow us to identify most if not all of them. We already knew of Skywalker from the lightsaber clues, now we also know of Calrissian, Antilles and two others, whom I am confident are other members of Rogue Squadron. Calrissian is known to have contacts in this region and he's also known for purposely making illogical decisions in order to throw off his opponents." Thrawn stared at the starlines in front of them an unreadable expression on his face. "Fortunately for us, our Killiset friends contacted all of their trade partners and put the word out to stop the frigate or risk losing their trade."

"Isn't there the risk that someone will get overzealous, Sir?" The thought of an overzealous citizen blowing the ship up put a knot in Pellaeon's stomach.

Thrawn shook his head, "The Killisets made it very clear to stop but not harm the ship. At any rate we will reach our location before the rebels have a chance to escape," His eyes seemed to flash a brighter red, "and then they'll have no chance at all."


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. Please don't sue._

_A/N: Sorry about the wait everybody! Hope you all enjoy and please review ___

Ties Ch.13 

Dr. Theeon looked at Lando as though he had sprouted a second head and Luke had to admit, he wasn't feeling any more confident with his friend's plan. Unfortunately, a Star Destroyer coming out of hyperspace left them with no other alternative. Lando's plan basically called for them to rig the ship like a flying bomb, so the Imperials couldn't fire any shots at them without risking destroying the New Republic ship entirely. What made the idea so suicidal was that they couldn't fake the rigging or bluff because the Imperial scanners would be able to tell the difference. Their survival depended entirely on the hope that no one would attempt to shoot at them.

Lando finished his adjustments to the ship's circuits then looked up at the tense faces around him. "O.K. listen carefully everyone. I'm going to have to contact the Imperials to let them know what the deal is. Hopefully, they'll immediately contact their buddies on the planet so that we won't have to worry about civilians shooting at us. So they know we've really got the Grand Admiral's baby brother onboard, and alive, I'm putting him in the copilot chair," Lando looked at Theeon. "Tied up and gagged, naturally."

"Oh, yes, _naturally._" Theeon said dryly. The alien doctor stood calmly and allowed Luke and Wedge to start tying him into the co-pilot's chair. "Please make sure you tie the binds tightly, you wouldn't want a violent brute like myself to get loose."

Luke started chuckling. Wedge rolled his eyes, "Do you pull this kind of guilt trip on your brother?"

Theeon opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Lando, who was just finishing his adjustments to the ship, "Sorry to cut the fun, but junior needs to be gagged _now_, the Imps are trying to contact us."

Wes handed Luke some bandages from the med bay and Luke quickly wrapped them around Dr. Theeon's mouth. Moments later came an irritating beeping sound and Lando pressed a few buttons in response. The flat screen revealed a face very similar to Theeon's, but Luke could instantly see the differences as well. There was something about the new alien's face that told Luke he was significantly older than Dr. Theeon, though Luke found it almost impossible to judge either's age. The difference between the two aliens was stronger than just age, there was a hard and icy coolness surrounding the elder alien absent in the doctor. The crisp whiteness of the Grand Admiral's uniform seemed to magnify the aura of coldness that seemed to surround him, yet Luke caught a fleeting glimpse of relief in Grand Admiral Thrawn's eyes when he saw his brother. The moment was gone almost instantly and Luke could tell the others hadn't caught it before Thrawn's eyes narrowed to slits of red hot metal.

"Well it's certainly nice to see you up and around, Grand Admiral, we heard some terrible things about your health recently." Lando's voice was casual but Luke could see the tension around his eyes.

The corners of the admiral's lips curled upward, ever so slightly, "Your warm sentiments are most touching, Calrissian, I'll enjoy extending this little conversation when you are brought onboard my ship."

Luke watched as the Star Destroyer's hangar opened and began spewing Tie fighters. He gave a subtle gesture to the Rogues, informing them to go to the gun turrets. Ideally, they wouldn't have to fire a shot, especially considering the way the ship was rigged but if it did come down to a fire fight they'd have to do their best to keep the Ties from blasting them to pieces. Luke turned his attention back to the conversation.

"I'd call your fighters off _admiral_, the last thing you want them to do is fire any shots at us." Tension was beginning to creep into Lando's voice but he managed to keep his cool.

"My fighters are well aware of the hostage you are carrying, Calrissian. It will be easy enough for them to incapacitate your ship without injuring anyone inside." Thrawn gave a thin, spine-chilling smile, "That part will have to wait until we meet face to face."

"Have you ever heard of a 'Suicidal Gambler's Escape,' Admiral?" Lando asked.

Thrawn's eyes narrowed, "What foolish trickery are you up to now, Calrissian?"

"Before you have any of your fighters shoot at us, I suggest you ask a couple of your underlings to scan our ship…" Lando trailed off. The Grand Admiral gave the orders and turned his chair so that Luke and the others could only see the back of his chair. Several tense, silent minutes drifted by as everyone waited for the result. Suddenly the chair turned around swiftly and Luke could almost feel the admiral's eyes burn into him, despite the space between their ships.

Lando's face seemed to relax a little and a smirk touched his lips, "It must really be eating at you that the men who blew up both the first and second Death Stars are sitting on a flying bomb right in front of you and there's nothing you can do about it."

Luke was very glad the Grand Admiral was not a Force user, because just the look on the alien's face was almost stopping his heart. However, Luke didn't allow the distraction to prevent him from scanning the computer for possible hyperspace routes. The admiral had clearly informed the Ties not to strike, for they were now flying out to surround their freighter, just far enough away to be out of the path of the freighter's blaster turrets. Creating a route around them would be tricky. Luke noticed too that the Star Destroyer was very carefully turning…it took him a second to realize why but when he did he whispered from the console he was standing beside to Lando.

"They're maneuvering to put us in line with their tractor beam! We've got to get out of here!"

Lando moved to the controls, "Well it was nice chatting to you and all…"

"Oh no, Calrissian, please don't leave just yet," Thrawn's voice now dripped with exaggerated politeness. "I do believe you would enjoy discussing the pros and cons of suicidal escape tricks…One con would be that rigging your ship as a bomb has a tendency to damage electrical systems and with the right energy signals, say from a subtly adapted communications signal, it can throw off sensors quite nicely. For example, you'll soon notice that our ship is significantly closer than you think…"

Lando slammed the communicator off and then jerked the ship's controls. "Luke tell the others to prepare for some crazy flying!"

"Already on it!" Luke quickly updated the others then went to the controls next to Lando.

"I've already programmed our best bet at an escape route into the computer, La-"

Luke was cut off as the freighter just barely managed to dodge out of the way of the Star Destroyer's tractor beam. Luke checked the computer again and realized that two more Star Destroyers were coming out of hyperspace…It was clear now that Lando's trick hadn't fooled the alien admiral at all, instead, Thrawn had been distracting them while calling more ships with powerful tractor beam capabilities.

Lando winced, "I really didn't think it'd come down to actual suicide…"

Out of the corner of his eye Luke noticed that Dr. Theeon was struggling against his bindings for the first time, muffled but desperate sounds coming from his gagged mouth. Clearly, the doctor had trusted them not to get him killed up until Lando's last comment. Another quick jerk of the ship and Luke barely managed to stay standing; he stopped his fall by grabbing onto the front console. A strange urge from the Force told Luke to look out the front view port and an escape route suddenly came to him.

With an excited gasp he lunged towards the controls, "Lando, I know what to do!"

Lando didn't question him but dove out of Luke's way and relinquished the controls to the younger pilot. The ship quickly darted a path past the Star Destroyers' carefully placed tractor beams and with a final shudder they made the jump into hyperspace.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to George Lucas and his peeps

_Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to George Lucas and his peeps. But Theeon's my baby._

_A/N: Sorry for the long break, hope I still have everyone's interest._

Ties Ch.14

Princess Leia felt her stomach twist at the sight of the Millennium Falcon landing in the hangar bay. She was relieved that Luke and the others had returned home safely, but she knew their ordeal was just beginning. Councilor Fey'lya had insisted on holding a meeting as soon as the others returned and judging from his earlier reaction to the situation he was planning to verbally tear into her friends. What angered her even more was that he had sent some of his backers to wait with her, in his words, 'to ensure your friends arrive to the meeting promptly'. It was yet another one of his carefully calculated political slaps to her face, the suggestion that she was too biased towards her friends to be trustworthy. Luckily, Han had also insisted on coming and he stood beside her, giving one of his signature glares at Fey'lya's people. Leia smiled secretly to herself; though she tried not to admit it, she was thankful to Han for his often-blatant disregard to political protocol. It was strangely comforting to know that Fey'lya's people were squirming under his unrelenting glare…at least it meant they were more uncomfortable feeling than her.

However, the political machinations of a backstabbing Bothan were not her only concern. She had spent the better part of the morning and the night before trying to figure out how she felt about meeting Grand Admiral Thrawn's brother. From the few messages Luke had managed to send to her about him, she had gotten the impression that Luke had taken a liking to the alien. A part of her trusted her brother's opinion, and given her own family tree, she knew better than to judge someone by his or her heritage. Unfortunately, she had to admit that a part of her still wanted to lash out at Thrawn for trying to destroy her family, and his baby brother was an awfully tempting target for revenge. She took a deep breath to clear her head. Such thoughts pushed her dangerously close to the dark side, a path she dared not tread.

The ramp to the Falcon slowly lowered, with Lando and the Rogues starting to descend before it had even fully touched the ground. The friendly smiles on their faces died almost instantly once they caught site of Fey'lya's people and Leia noticed Han's subtle nod to them. She knew it was his warning that they needed to prepare themselves for trouble and she could tell by the suddenly grim expressions on their faces that they all figured out what was going on without a word needing to be uttered.

Movement at the top of the ramp caught her attention and she looked up to see Luke escorting a blue skinned humanoid down the ramp. Though the alien's hands were tied in front of him, he still managed to look calm and regal. Leia found herself studying the alien's face, searching for some sense of darkness, some trace of evil that would give her an excuse to dislike him. Instead, she was shocked to feel the same kind of innate kindness and warmth that she associated with her brother. Her stomach twisted again. His brother had tried to kidnap her _babies_…yet even as that thought struck her a mocking voice inside her head responded instantly…_your father tortured you, gave your future husband to a bounty hunter and tried to turn your brother to the dark side…who are you to judge anybody?_

Lando cut off the princess's tumultuous thoughts, "So I'm guessing we're not going to have a chance to just relax and recover from the mission, are we?"

Han shook his head grimly; "No we're here to escort you to the main meeting room, so that Fey'lya and the council can interrogate you."

Fey'lya's chief lackey, a Bothan whose name escaped Leia's mind, sniffed disdainfully, "Captain Solo, the council has no intention of interrogating any _loyal _members of the New Republic. It is merely because of our delicate political situation with the Empire that we need to have a debriefing of this disastrously botched mission as soon as possible."

Lando's eyes flashed with anger, "Listen you…"

Han quickly put a hand on Lando's shoulder to cut him off, "It's not worth it Lando, we're in hot enough water as it is."

Lando clenched his jaw but said nothing. Wedge, Tycho and Wes were also clearly fuming, standing behind Lando to show their support. Leia wondered if they had caught the lackey's subtle threat or if they were just angry about the botched mission comment. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a smooth, cultured voice.

"Only _loyal_ members of the New Republic will avoid interrogation? Does that mean I may have company during _my _interrogation?" The alien's face was calm, collected and unreadable.

The Bothan's fur rippled, "The affairs of the New Republic are of no concern to you, Imperial. You would do best to remember that anything you say from now on can be used against you in front of the council."

Dr. Theeon merely raised an eyebrow, "My humblest apologies. By all means, let us not keep them waiting."

The doctor's overly polite response to the threat clearly irritated the Bothan and he spun on his heel and headed out of the hangar bay, the other lackeys following close behind. Leia realized that the others were now focusing on her, undoubtedly waiting for instructions on what to do next. She looked at her friends and gave them a wry smile; "Well at least we know everyone will be in a good mood when we reach the meeting."

Han rolled his eyes, "Yeah, this ought a be one hell of a party."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The walk to the meeting room was eerily quiet. He knew that everyone was likely trying to figure out how they were going to talk their way out of the trouble they were going to face from the council. Well, everyone except Leia and him. Han knew his wife well enough to know that she would be as distracted as he was by Dr. Theeon. They had talked for a long time the night before about how they felt meeting the brother of one of their worst enemies. Despite what Luke had told them, part of Han expected the alien to be a duplicate of his evil older brother…in fact part of Han _wanted_ him to be. It'd be so much easier if he could just hate the guy, send him home to big brother with a couple black eyes, a few broken bones and a busted lip as a friendly reminder not to mess with Han's family again. That hope was pretty much shattered the moment he saw the alien standing next to Luke. It wasn't that the two men looked anything alike, save perhaps their slender builds and youthful faces, it was something else, something Han couldn't quite put his finger on. He was no Force user, he couldn't sense someone's thoughts or anything, but he just got this feeling, this feeling that it could've just as easily Luke, or Force forbid Leia, that ended up on the wrong side of the war.

Of course, the fact he had so efficiently humiliated one of Fey'lya's buddies earned him several bonus points in Han's opinion.

They reached the doors to the meeting room and Leia nodded to the guards, who opened the doors for them. She strode into the room, the picture of calm and poise, confidently taking her place at the table. Han followed suit but as he sat down he noticed there were no chairs for the others. Only one side of the table had any chairs. Realization hit him as he watched one of the guards gently usher his friends into a row in front of the table, while the other guard pointed a blaster at Dr. Theeon. He glanced at Leia and noticed the subtle frown on her face; this was not how they had been told the debriefing would be held.

Clearly, Mon Mothma had noticed their confusion and answered their unspoken question. "Councilor Fey'lya's assistants informed of us of some," she paused as if searching for the right word, "conflict in the hangar bay. It has been decided that the prisoner should not be privy to the information discussed in this meeting and will therefore be escorted to a detention cell until such time as we can decide the best method of addressing his situation."

All eyes fell on Dr. Theeon, whose face remained remarkably blank. Han expected him to say something, but the alien remained quiet. Han noticed Fey'lya's fur ripple, and he forced himself not to smile. The Bothan thrived on conflict and the young doctor's peaceful demeanor made it difficult to attack him without coming off as a bully. Luke often pulled the same trick on the councilor…

Fey'lya finally spoke, a hint of irritation in his voice. "What are you waiting for? Take him away so we can start our meeting."

The guard nodded and gestured with his blaster for Dr. Theeon to follow him. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but as the doctor turned away, Han could've sworn the alien's eyes looked vaguely amused. Barely five minutes in a room with Fey'lya and already the doctor had apparently taken a liking to annoying the Bothan. Han sighed softly. For the first time since hearing about the kid's existence Han really hoped the alien knew nothing of his older brother's crimes. He understood now how Luke had taken such an instant liking to the young alien; there was just something so genuinely likable about him…_Damn, why does this stuff always have to be so complicated?_


End file.
